By Hanah Tabios The local government units (LGU) of 12 towns and 2 cities in Batangas province were advised to immediately conduct mandatory evacuation as the areas are now all susceptible to ballistic projectiles, base surges, and volcanic tsunami according to state volcanologists. Phivolcs director Renato solidum talks situation in Taal as he shows to media the monitoring room following a press briefing at phivolcs, January 15, 2019. (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) The advisory was released Wednesday by the Department of Interior and Local Government Unit (DILG) Batangas. This was based on the assessment conducted by the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) which ordered the forced evacuation of residents in several barangays within the 14-km radius from Taal volcano classified as high risk zone and are all susceptible to ballistic projectiles, base surges, and a possible occurrence of volcanic tsunami. Residents in the following cities and towns were instructed to coordinate with their LGUs and local disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) officers for further instructions. These include:

• Talisay
• Sta. Teresita
• Taal
• San Nicolas
• Mataas Na Kahoy
• Malvar
• Lemery
• Laurel
• Cuenca
• Balete
• Agoncillo
• Alitagtag
• City of Tanauan
• Lipa City

Experts defined ballistic projectiles as volcanic materials directly ejected from the volcano’s vent. These are highly destructive materials that can endanger life and property due to force of impact. Base surges, in simple terms, is like a landslide composed of solid debris from the volcano and moves radially outward at high speed originating from the base of a vertical eruption column. Its simple Filipino definition would be “mga rumaragasang mainit na bato na nanggagaling sa paanan ng bulkan.” Phivolcs director Dr. Renato Solidum had earlier said that possible volcanic tsunami occurrences were not generated by earthquakes unfolding in Region IV-A (CALABARZON). Rather, the waves that could be generated toward the shoreline was triggered by a significant volume of volcanic debris that would enter the lake water. This could later displace a significant volume of water that would create the phenomenon. Meanwhile, some towns in the province were already declared “no-go zones” or placed under lock down because of its proximity to the volcano. New fissures or cracks on the ground also emerged  due to intrusion of magma into the Taal edifice. Alert Level 4 criteria is still raised over Taal volcano which is defined by Phivolcs as “intense unrest, including harmonic tremor and/or ‘low frequency earthquakes’ which are usually felt, profuse steaming along existing and perhaps new vents and fissures.” The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also urged the public to stop spreading fake news on Taal eruption.