On Sunday, 12th January 2020, the Taal Volcano spewed massive ash clouds that reached Manila and nearby provinces. Soon after, it spewed lava fountains early Monday morning.
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As a safety measure, Philippine authorities have suspended classes and government offices. Likewise, flights coming in and out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been put on hold, as the volcano threatens to have an “explosive eruption.”
Philippine’s Taal Volcano Spews Lava Fountains
Soon after Taal Volcano shot columns of ash into the sky and earthquake tremors shook the ground on Sunday, thousands of people near the volcano were evacuated, ABS-CBN News reported. According to the local disaster office, more than 2,000 residents living on the volcanic island in the vicinity of Taal Lake have been evacuated.
As of 3:20 am Monday morning, ash from the volcano has reached the following areas: Tanauan, Batangas; Escala, Tagaytay; Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Dasmarinas, Bacoor, & Silang, Cavite; Malolos, San Jose Del Monte, & Meycauayan, Bulacan; Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Marikina, Paranaque, Pasig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Manila, Makati City, Taguig City, and Antipolo, Rizal.
“We noticed a lava fountain at the main crater,” stated Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) volcano monitoring division. “The lava fountain finished at 4:30 a.m. It is now emitting steam plume.”
Meanwhile, PHIVOLCS Chief Renato Solidum stated that the last eruption of the Taal Volcano was in 1977 — more than 40 years ago. It is also worth noting that because the Philippine is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” earthquakes and volcanic activity are to be expected.
For the latest alerts and updates, please visit PHIVOLCS on Facebook. As of this writing, here is their latest bulletin on Taal Volcano:
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Even as the Taal Volcano threatens to erupt, another “heated” issued is the US-Iran crisis in the Middle East. Fortunately, the Philippine government has been making preparations, including the launching of this patrol vessel that is ready to repatriate OFWS amid the rising tension.