FILE PHOTO: The scenic view of Taal Volcano from Tagaytay City, Cavite, shown in this photo taken on October 24, 2023. This photo portrays calmness amid the volcano’s continued emission of toxic gas. —MARLON MALLARI/ CONTRIBUTOR
LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano’s sudden heavy emission of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas on Sunday and Monday, Aug. 18 and 19, prompted the suspension of classes in some schools, public and private, in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna province to ensure the safety of students and teachers.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Batangas announced the suspension of classes in the towns of Padre Garcia, San Juan, Mabini, Lobo, Cuenca, Bauan, San Nicolas, San Pascual, Padre Garcia, Lemery, Malvar, Balayan, Laurel, Nasugbu, Balete, Agoncillo, San Jose, Calatagan, and the cities of Lipa and Tanauan.
In Cavite, the cities of General Trias, Dasmariñas, Bacoor, and the towns of Silang, Indang, Magallanes, Alfonso, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Maragondon, Amadeo, and Carmona have also suspended the classes in their respective localities due to threat of the volcanic smog (vog).
The cities of Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa, Calamba, San Pedro, Biñan, and San Pablo, and the town of Bay in Laguna also announced the suspension of classes on their respective Facebook pages.
READ: LIST: Aug 19 class suspensions due to volcanic smog from Taal
These areas continued to experience vog from Taal Volcano.
Some local governments ordered a total suspension, while others shifted to online or modular classes.
On Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported emissions of 3,355 metric tons (MT) of SO2 over the past 24 hours that rose to 2,400 meters above Taal Volcano Island, locally known as “Pulo,” which sits within Taal Lake, before drifting north-northwest.
The Phivolcs classified the latest spewing activity of the volcano as “voluminous emission.”
State volcanologists also noted the presence of vog from Saturday until Sunday during their monitoring period.
READ: Phivolcs detects weak phreatic eruption in Taal Volcano
Shermin Tan, a resident of Tagaytay City overlooking Taal Volcano, said what enveloped their surroundings early Monday was thick fog.
“It’s not vog. There is no irritation or suffocating smell. What we have here is foggy morning,” Tan said in a phone interview.
He said the thick fog obstructs the scenic view of Taal Volcano from the roadside.
Tagaytay City authorities have yet to cancel school classes as of Monday morning.
However, Tan said family members, particularly the elderly, have prepared N95 face masks if the situation worsens.
Vog contains acidic droplets of volcanic gas like SO2, which can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract, with severity depending on exposure.
READ: Batangas folk fear health risks from Taal vog
Health authorities warned that people with asthma, lung or heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women, and children are especially vulnerable.
Residents are advised to wear N95 masks outside to protect against SO2 plumes.
Alert Level 1 prevails over Taal Volcano, indicating it is still in abnormal condition.
Phivolcs reminded the public that entry into Taal Volcano Island, especially the main crater and Daang Kastila fissures, and boating and flying any aircraft close to the volcano remained prohibited.