Phivolcs lowers Taal status to Alert Level 1

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday morning downgraded Taal Volcano to Alert Level 1, two months since its eruption.

This means there “no eruption is imminent” in Taal.

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, Philvolcs said: “Taal Volcano’s condition in the succeeding four weeks after step-down to Alert Level 2 on 14 February 2020 as been characterized by low-level volcanic earthquake activity, stabilizing ground deformation of the Taal Caldera and Taal Volcano Island edifices and weak surface activity at the Main Crater and the Daang Kastila fissure.”

State volcanologists however reminded that Alert Level 1 means that Taal is “still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted that unrest has ceased or that the threat of an eruption has disappeared.

Taal woke up from its slumber on January 12, unleashing kilometers-high ash column and lava fountain the next day, signalling. The restive activity led to the evacuation of thousands living on the volcano island and high-risk areas and destruction of houses and establishments in Batangas. 

The volcano’s status was scaled down to Alert Level 3 two weeks later.  — with reports from Gaea Katreena Cabico