SAN NICOLAS, Batangas -- Presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Saturday, March 26, cut short his town hall meeting in San Nicolas town in Batangas following the eruption of Taal Volcano.

"Umuwi muna kayo sa mga pamilya ninyo dahil hindi natin alam anong magaganap diyan (Go home to your families first because we do not know what will happen there)," Domagoso told residents here.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had earlier raised the alert status over Taal Volcano to level 3 after a “nearly” continuous phreatomagmatic activity that triggered plumes of white steam.

"'Yung kampanya ko, pwede pa akong mangampanya sa ibang araw. Pero 'yung mga kagamitan, mahal sa buhay na dapat ipaghanda mas mahalaga po sa akin 'yun (My campaign, I can still campaign on other days. But your rhings, your loved ones must get prepared, is more important to me)," he said.

"Sana kahit di ako nakapag kampanya sainyo, sana mahalin niyo parin ako (I hope even if I I wasn't able to campaign with you, I hope you still love me)," he added.

Domagoso made the appeal even as Taal Volcano could be seen billowing thick smoke in a distance from where the town hall meeting was being held.

The Manila mayor, meanwhile, said he and his team were still observing the activity of the Taal Volcano before they decide on whether all his campaign sorties scheduled today in the province will also be cancelled.

"We're playing it by ear as we progress with kilometers and hanggat (as long as it is) safe. Pero kung sabihin ko kahit na medyo lagpas pero masama yung sitwasyon, eh marami pa namang panahon para kampanya (But even if I say it's a little far from there but the situation is bad, there is still a lot of time for the campaign)," he said in an ambush interview.

"Pero it might happen kasi hanggang gabi ngayong araw na ito sa Batangas.. We'll see. Panalangin ko nalang, huwag sanang tumuloy (But it might happen because we are supposed to campaign here until tonight in Batangas.. We'll see. I'm just praying that it will not continue)," he said.

Read more: Phivolcs raises Taal Volcano’s alert status to level 3; recommends evacuation in high-risk areas