“PHIVOLCS strongly recommends Taal Volcano Island and high-risk barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga, Agoncillo and Buso-buso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan, Laurel, Batangas province remain evacuated due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions subsequently occur,” the agency said in its bulletin.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 3) — Taal Volcano in Batangas province, south of Metro Manila, recorded its “highest ever” sulfur dioxide emission, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Saturday.
In its 8 p.m. bulletin, Phivolcs said the volcano spewed an average of 14,699 tonnes of sulfur dioxide per day, which may contribute to the formation of volcanic smog in lakeshore communities in Batangas.
Phivolcs also warned of a possible volcanic eruption due to the increase of sulfur dioxide emission.
Taal’s first eruption on Thursday after more than a year of calm prompted officials to evacuate people living in high-risk lakeshore areas in the towns of Laurel and Agoncillo.
Phivolcs has a five-level alert system for volcanic activity, with level five as the highest and means a hazardous eruption is in progress.
Taal Volcano’s current alert level three means “if the trend is one of increasing unrest, [a] hazardous eruption is possible within days to weeks,” Phivolcs said.
As of Saturday afternoon, 3,011 people or 791 families were evacuated, broken down into 1,554 people or 376 families staying in 11 evacuation centers, and 1,457 people or 415 families outside evacuation centers, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. The agency earlier said some families stayed with relatives.
Philippine National Police chief PGen Guillermo Eleazar on Saturday said he ordered the setting up of police assistance desks in all evacuation centers in Batangas to keep evacuees safe.
