Threat of major Taal eruption now low – Phivolcs
Published Jan 28, 2020 12:00 am
By Alexandria Dennise San Juan and Aaron Recuenco
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the probability of a possible major eruption of Taal Volcano is now slim as volcanic activities have simmered down.
PHIVOLCS Director Usec. Renato Solidum (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"Sa ngayon wala pang possibility na itaas ulit sa alert level 4 kasi yung ibang mga parametro na binabantayan natin tulad ng mga paglindol ay bumaba pa kaysa kahapon at yung sulfur dioxide ay walang masyadong nadetect dahil mahina ang steaming (As of now, there is no possibility to raise alert level 4 again over Taal as some of the parameters we are monitoring such as the numbers of earthquakes further decreased compared to yesterday, while the sulfur dioxide level is now too low to be detected)," Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. explained.
Phivolcs lowered the alert status on Taal to 3 Sunday, two weeks after the January 12 phreatic eruption, following observations that the volcano's tendency towards a hazardous eruption has decreased.
However, despite the lowering of the alert level, Solidum warned the public on possible steam-driven explosion as there is still a continuous hydrothermal activity underneath Taal.
This was after Phivolcs observed that Taal belched on Tuesday weak to voluminous emission of white to dirty white steam-laden plumes measuring up to 100 to 800 meters tall that drifted southwest.
“These indications signify that there is a possibility of a dangerous steam-driven explosion so we are maintaining Taal Volcano's condition at alert level 3,” Solidum added. He noted that the steaming activity of Taal is normal and has no indication that magma is rapidly moving upward.
Lesser volcanic quakes were also recorded by the Philippine Seismic Network (PSN) from Monday morning to Tuesday morning. The PSN plotted three volcanic tremors that registered at magnitudes 1.5 to 2.2.
The Taal Volcano Network, which can detect small earthquakes, recorded 92 volcanic tremors including low-frequency earthquakes also during the same period.
Despite Taal’s slow activity, Solidum maintained that entry to Taal Volcano Island as well as areas over Taal Lake and communities west of the island within the seven-kilometer radius from the Main Crater must be strictly prohibited.
The agency said that sudden steam-driven and even weak phreatomagmatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ashfall, and lethal volcanic gas expulsions can still occur and threaten areas within Taal Volcano Island and nearby lakeshores.
“The probability of the threat of a major explosion is now low but it is still there, but we are not eliminating the possibility of having small explosions,” Solidum said as he urged the strict implementation of the 7-kilometer danger zone to prevent hazards brought by a sudden steam explosion.
22,000 homes destroyed
The Batangas Provincial Government has started shifting to a more challenging phase of relief and rehabilitation as some 22,000 houses were damaged and thousands of families were left reliant on assistance for their food and other basic needs when Taal sprung to action.
Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas said while almost 50 percent of the evacuees have already returned to their homes Monday after the alert level was lowered, most would start from scratch because their livelihood are gone for those who thrive on farming, livestock, and fishing.
“The rumblings of Taal (volcano) may soon be over, but the adverse effects of the eruption on thousands of Batangueño families continue. They need the help of the government and that is the reason why we have been mapping out plans in order to help them stand back on their feet,” Mandanas told the Manila Bulletin in an interview here.
For instance, Mandanas said the returning evacuees would need food and drinking water supply in the coming days since it is expected that most of them, particularly the poor, lost everything to the eruption.
The 22,000 families who lost their homes, he said, would also need help rebuilding their houses.
Mandanas said families who lost their homes and opted to remain at the evacuation centers, along with those who returned home must be fed continuously by the government.
This is aside from the damaged bridge, roads and other infrastructure like school buildings which were damaged due to volcanic quakes. Extensive cleaning also needs to be done for communities that suffered the brunt of the ash fall.
“Ang mga Batangueno ay mayayabang. Ayaw nilang umaasa (Batanguenos are proud people. They do not want to rely on others) but at this point, they need help to start and soon, with the help of the government and the private sector, I am sure that we will all rise up from this challenge,” Mandanas said.
The initial plan is to give P3,000 to P6,000 cash to each of the families affected by the Taal Volcano eruption depending on the extent of impact caused by the eruption.
Based on their data, Mandanas said there are 200,000 families affected in Batangas. Cash assistance, which will serve as a start-up fund for the affected families, will be properly documented in the spirit of transparency.
Since families who have livestock are too devastated to buy food for their animals, Mandanas said they are planning to buy all livestock to help the affected families.
“We will buy their pigs, goats, cows, horses, and other farm animals, dead or alive. In this way, the money that they would receive could be use as start-up fund to start again or venture to another business.”
Affected farmers will be given basic farming tools, seedlings, and fertilizers, Mandanas said. And since returning evacuees have lost means of livelihood when they go back to their communities, the provincial government will set up assistance centers in every affected barangay where families could get food, drinking water, milk for their children, medicine, and other basic needs.
“And these are all for free. The assistance centers will remain until their lives are normalized based on our assessment,” Mandanas said.
READ MORE: Batangas shifts to rehab phase with 22,000 houses destroyed, thousands without livelihood
Meanwhile, the education department said there are still over 16,000 learners staying in almost 300 schools that are being used as evacuation centers of Taal victims.
About 2,800 classrooms in nine school divisions including Batangas, Batangas City, Calamba City, Cavite, Gen. Trias City, Laguna, Lipa City, San Pablo City and Tanauan City are being used as temporary homes of 21, 318 families (77,067 individuals). (With a report from Merlina Hernando-Malipot)
READ MORE: Thousands of learners still in evacuation centers
PHIVOLCS Director Usec. Renato Solidum (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"Sa ngayon wala pang possibility na itaas ulit sa alert level 4 kasi yung ibang mga parametro na binabantayan natin tulad ng mga paglindol ay bumaba pa kaysa kahapon at yung sulfur dioxide ay walang masyadong nadetect dahil mahina ang steaming (As of now, there is no possibility to raise alert level 4 again over Taal as some of the parameters we are monitoring such as the numbers of earthquakes further decreased compared to yesterday, while the sulfur dioxide level is now too low to be detected)," Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. explained.
Phivolcs lowered the alert status on Taal to 3 Sunday, two weeks after the January 12 phreatic eruption, following observations that the volcano's tendency towards a hazardous eruption has decreased.
However, despite the lowering of the alert level, Solidum warned the public on possible steam-driven explosion as there is still a continuous hydrothermal activity underneath Taal.
This was after Phivolcs observed that Taal belched on Tuesday weak to voluminous emission of white to dirty white steam-laden plumes measuring up to 100 to 800 meters tall that drifted southwest.
“These indications signify that there is a possibility of a dangerous steam-driven explosion so we are maintaining Taal Volcano's condition at alert level 3,” Solidum added. He noted that the steaming activity of Taal is normal and has no indication that magma is rapidly moving upward.
Lesser volcanic quakes were also recorded by the Philippine Seismic Network (PSN) from Monday morning to Tuesday morning. The PSN plotted three volcanic tremors that registered at magnitudes 1.5 to 2.2.
The Taal Volcano Network, which can detect small earthquakes, recorded 92 volcanic tremors including low-frequency earthquakes also during the same period.
Despite Taal’s slow activity, Solidum maintained that entry to Taal Volcano Island as well as areas over Taal Lake and communities west of the island within the seven-kilometer radius from the Main Crater must be strictly prohibited.
The agency said that sudden steam-driven and even weak phreatomagmatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ashfall, and lethal volcanic gas expulsions can still occur and threaten areas within Taal Volcano Island and nearby lakeshores.
“The probability of the threat of a major explosion is now low but it is still there, but we are not eliminating the possibility of having small explosions,” Solidum said as he urged the strict implementation of the 7-kilometer danger zone to prevent hazards brought by a sudden steam explosion.
22,000 homes destroyed
The Batangas Provincial Government has started shifting to a more challenging phase of relief and rehabilitation as some 22,000 houses were damaged and thousands of families were left reliant on assistance for their food and other basic needs when Taal sprung to action.
Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas said while almost 50 percent of the evacuees have already returned to their homes Monday after the alert level was lowered, most would start from scratch because their livelihood are gone for those who thrive on farming, livestock, and fishing.
“The rumblings of Taal (volcano) may soon be over, but the adverse effects of the eruption on thousands of Batangueño families continue. They need the help of the government and that is the reason why we have been mapping out plans in order to help them stand back on their feet,” Mandanas told the Manila Bulletin in an interview here.
For instance, Mandanas said the returning evacuees would need food and drinking water supply in the coming days since it is expected that most of them, particularly the poor, lost everything to the eruption.
The 22,000 families who lost their homes, he said, would also need help rebuilding their houses.
Mandanas said families who lost their homes and opted to remain at the evacuation centers, along with those who returned home must be fed continuously by the government.
This is aside from the damaged bridge, roads and other infrastructure like school buildings which were damaged due to volcanic quakes. Extensive cleaning also needs to be done for communities that suffered the brunt of the ash fall.
“Ang mga Batangueno ay mayayabang. Ayaw nilang umaasa (Batanguenos are proud people. They do not want to rely on others) but at this point, they need help to start and soon, with the help of the government and the private sector, I am sure that we will all rise up from this challenge,” Mandanas said.
The initial plan is to give P3,000 to P6,000 cash to each of the families affected by the Taal Volcano eruption depending on the extent of impact caused by the eruption.
Based on their data, Mandanas said there are 200,000 families affected in Batangas. Cash assistance, which will serve as a start-up fund for the affected families, will be properly documented in the spirit of transparency.
Since families who have livestock are too devastated to buy food for their animals, Mandanas said they are planning to buy all livestock to help the affected families.
“We will buy their pigs, goats, cows, horses, and other farm animals, dead or alive. In this way, the money that they would receive could be use as start-up fund to start again or venture to another business.”
Affected farmers will be given basic farming tools, seedlings, and fertilizers, Mandanas said. And since returning evacuees have lost means of livelihood when they go back to their communities, the provincial government will set up assistance centers in every affected barangay where families could get food, drinking water, milk for their children, medicine, and other basic needs.
“And these are all for free. The assistance centers will remain until their lives are normalized based on our assessment,” Mandanas said.
READ MORE: Batangas shifts to rehab phase with 22,000 houses destroyed, thousands without livelihood
Meanwhile, the education department said there are still over 16,000 learners staying in almost 300 schools that are being used as evacuation centers of Taal victims.
About 2,800 classrooms in nine school divisions including Batangas, Batangas City, Calamba City, Cavite, Gen. Trias City, Laguna, Lipa City, San Pablo City and Tanauan City are being used as temporary homes of 21, 318 families (77,067 individuals). (With a report from Merlina Hernando-Malipot)
READ MORE: Thousands of learners still in evacuation centers