LIVE UPDATES: Taal Volcano

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Taal Volcano logs highest sulfur dioxide emission for 2023

October 12, 2023 – 6:25 PM

(GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / INQUIRER file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Taal Volcano on Thursday spewed a record-high volume of sulfur dioxide for the year, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

“A total of 9,762 tonnes/day of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas emission from the Taal Main Crater was measured today, 12 October 2023. This is the highest recorded SO2 emission from Taal for the year,” Phivolcs said.

October 10, 2023 – 4:45 AM

BEHIND THE SERENITY Taal Volcano looks serene in this photo taken from Tagaytay City on Sept. 25, but it continues to emit harmful volcanic smog that has shrouded the volcano (right), shown in this photo on Sunday, prompting local governments in Batangas, Laguna and Rizal to suspend classes on Monday. —PHOTOS FROM THE TAGAYTAY CITY TOURISM OFFICE AND EVELYN GONZALEZ

LUCENA CITY—Following Taal Volcano’s sudden heavy emission of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas on Sunday, in-person classes in public and private schools in parts of the provinces of Batangas, Laguna and Rizal were suspended on Monday to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) and the Office of the Civil Defense in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) announced the suspension early Monday.

October 9, 2023 – 5:03 PM

Thick volcanic smog covers the view of Taal Lake from Tagaytay City on Sunday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of Evelyn Gonzalez)

LUCENA CITY – Taal Volcano’s sudden heavy emission of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas on Sunday, Oct. 8, prompted the suspension on Monday of in-person classes in Batangas schools to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council in the Calabarzon region announced the suspension on the Facebook page of the Civil Defense Calabarzon early Monday.

October 9, 2023 – 11:39 AM

Taal volcano in Batangas is shown is this photo dated April 11, 2017. (File photo from WILLIE LOMIBAO)

MANILA, Philippines —The thin layer of volcanic smog or vog from Taal volcano has cleared up.

These mixture of gases in the atmosphere had prompted class suspension and shift to modular classes in some areas early Monday morning.

October 9, 2023 – 8:28 AM

(NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / INQUIRER file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Classes in parts of Batangas, Laguna, and Rizal were either suspended or shifted to modular distance learning (MDL) on Monday, October 9 due to volcanic smog or vog from Taal Volcano.

The Office of Civil Defense – Calabarzon made the announcement in a social media post on Sunday evening after a thin layer of vog was observed over the volcano’s caldera.

October 1, 2023 – 4:50 PM

(GRIG C.MONTEGRANDE / INQUIRER file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Three volcanic earthquakes in Taal Volcano were detected over the last 24 hours while Alert Level 1 is still in effect, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Sunday.

The earthquakes recorded from September 30 to October 1 were accompanied by one volcanic tremor which lasted five minutes, Phivolcs added.

October 1, 2023 – 12:31 PM

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LUCENA CITY — Due to Taal Volcano’s continuous emission of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas, in-person classes in public and private schools in the town of Tuy in Batangas province will still be suspended on Monday, October 2, to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

Mayor Jose Jecerell Cerrado issued Executive Order (EO) 2013-013 on September 29, directing “the extension of modular/online distance learning in all elementary, junior and senior high school (public and private) until October 2, 2023 due to volcanic vog/smog.”

September 26, 2023 – 7:25 PM

FUMING Although not immediately evident, Taal Volcano is still restive. —GRIG C.MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said that it logged 691 individuals who had health issues due to the volcanic smog (vog) emitted by Taal Volcano recently.

According to data from the DOH as of Sept. 25, all cases were recorded in Batangas, with the municipality of Balete having the most number of cases with 208.

September 25, 2023 – 9:20 AM

AIR POLLUTION WOE Taal Volcano, shown in this photo taken from Tagaytay City in May, remains under alert level 1 or low level of unrest. Volcanic smog or vog from Taal has worried residents of towns and cities surrounding the volcano in Batangas due to its impact on their health. Photo by Rem Zamora

MANILA, Philippines — Classes in several areas of Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna were suspended on Monday, September 25, due to volcanic smog or vog from Taal Volcano.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said vog can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract. It first observed the vog over Taal Volcano on September 21.

September 22, 2023 – 7:09 PM

LAKE AQUACULTURE Caretakers of fishery structures in a section of Taal Lake in Laurel, Batangas, check on their fish stock on Wednesday as Taal Volcano remains restive. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — An official from the state seismology bureau has assured that even with the volcanic smog or vog situation on Friday, the possibility of the Taal volcano erupting remains low.

In an INQ Today interview on Friday, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division chief Mariton Bornas said that the volcano has a low chance of erupting at a major level.

September 22, 2023 – 5:51 PM

PHOTO FROM REUTERS

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) and the local government units (LGUs) should distribute N95 masks to residents in areas affected by Taal Volcano’s volcanic smog (vog), House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said.

Romualdez, in a statement, said that people from Batangas, Cavite Laguna, and even Metro Manila — locales near Taal Volcano — should get immediate assistance.

September 22, 2023 – 4:53 PM

DANGER IN THE AIR Taal Volcano is swathed in a mist of hazardous sulfur dioxide as seen from Agoncillo town, Batangas province. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) maintained the Alert Level 1 status of the Taal Volcano on Friday despite its emission of volcanic smog or vog since the first week of September.

Under Alert Level 1, steam or phreatic eruptions, volcanic earthquakes, thin ashfalls, and hazardous gas emissions may occur. The bureau has also cautioned the public against going to Taal Volcano Island, as well as the flying of aircraft near the crater.

September 22, 2023 – 1:31PM

Acid rain can occur following the volcanic smog or vog from Taal volcano, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum said on Friday.

“Ang Kamaynilaan, kung umulan ng malakas, ay nawa-wash down yung mga pollutants kaya napapaigi,” he said.

Smog from Taal: 58 Batangas students suffer illness

September 22, 2023 – 12:35PM

Students suffering from vog who were rushed to Tuy, Batangas Rural Health Unit on Thursday. | PHOTO: Tuy MDRRMO

Fifty eight (58) students from Tuy, Batangas were brought to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) after they were affected by the volcanic smog from Taal volcano.

Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog.

Tuy’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) were distributing facemasks in schools, when some of the students complained of difficulty in breathing and chest pains.

Smog in Metro Manila not from Taal Volcano – Phivolcs, DENR

September 22, 2023 – 12:00PM

INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / GRIG MONTEGRANDE

No, the smog you’re seeing in Metro Manila is not because of Taal, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday.

Phivolcs clarified to reporters that the vog (volcanic smog) it detected from Taal Volcano is drifting west-southwest, hence, is not going toward Metro Manila.

LIST: Class suspensions on September 22 due to Taal volcanic smog

September 22, 2023 – 8:13AM

Several local governments have suspended classes on Friday due to volcanic smog (vog).

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recently reported that the Taal Volcano in Batangas has been observed omitting vog.

According to Phivolcs, this vog could adversely affect one’s health as it can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract with severity depending on the gas concentrations and durations of exposure.

Batangas folk fear health risks from Taal vog

September 22, 2023 – 5:04AM

The provincial government of Batangas has expressed alarm over the presence of volcanic smog or vog from the continued sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission from Taal Volcano, which has already caused schools in some areas in the province to shift to distance learning to protect their students’ health.

On Wednesday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) called for an emergency meeting with representatives of municipal disaster response units to address the situation that threatens the health and safety of residents around the lake.

Volcanic smog detected over Taal Volcano, health advisory up

September 21, 2023 – 10:42PM

Taal Volcano (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C.MONTEGRANDE)

State volcanologists on Thursday said that Taal Volcano began emitting volcanic smog (vog), which could adversely affect one’s health effects and damage crops and infrastructure.

“Since 12:30 PM today, volcanic smog or vog has been observed over Taal Lake by the Taal Volcano Network and has lingered over the region until present,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its latest advisory.

Classes suspended in parts of Batangas over Taal volcanic smog

September 21, 2023 – 10:17PM

Taal Volcano as seen from Tagaytay City ( 📷:Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Several municipalities in Batangas have suspended classes in all levels in public and private schools on Friday due to volcanic smog, or vog from the Taal Volcano.

The municipalities that suspended Friday classes are Lian, Calatagan, Lemery, Nasugbu, Taal and Balayan.

Meanwhile, the municipality of Tuy has suspended classes in the elementary to senior high school levels in public and private schools.

Phivolcs detects smog over Taal volcano

September 15, 2023 – 4:33 PM

Communities around Taal volcano in Batangas have been warned to stay alert amid continuing signs of volcanic unrest. In this photo taken from the Talisay-Tanauan Road on Monday, August 8, 2022, fish cage caretakers in Taal Lake do their chores, unmindful of smoke billowing out of the volcano. (INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has observed volcanic smog over Taal volcano in Batangas.

In its advisory on Friday afternoon, Phivolcs said it observed the haze at about 10:00 a.m.