Malacañang suspends gov’t work, classes in NCR, Calabarzon, Region 3 as Taal Volcano rumbles

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang has ordered the suspension of all classes and government work on Monday in several regions affected by the Taal Volcano explosion.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, by authority of the President, has directed the suspension of classes in all levels and work in government in the affected areas of Calabarzon, National Capital Region and Region 3, “except frontline response agencies involved in disaster response, delivery of basic and health service, and/or other vital services.”

“The private sector is highly encouraged to suspend work for the safety of their employees,” Medialdea added.
A phreatic explosion occured at Taal Volcano’s crater around 1 p.m. Sunday.

Phreatic eruption is a steam-driven episode that occurs when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits.

According to the US Geological Survey, a phreatic eruptions can often precede, accompany, or follow a more traditional volcanic eruption.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 4 over Taal Volcano on Sunday night, which means a hazardous explosion may occur within hours or days.It has also recommended that Taal Volcano Island and high-risk barangays in the towns of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas be evacuated due to possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami.

Taal’s heightened activity has forced airport authorities to ground flights for safety concerns and the cancellation of classes in all levels in Metro Manila and other affected areas.

Ashfall from Taal, the country’s secon-most-active-volcano, affected nearby provinces and has reached as far as Quezon City.

The phreatic explosion, which sent a giant plume of ash, came months after Taal started  exhibiting a state of unrest.