2020–2022 Taal Volcano Eruptions
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Taal Volcano in
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
began to erupt on January 12, 2020, when a
phreatomagmatic eruption Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions cont ...
from its main crater spewed ashes over
Calabarzon Calabarzon (), formally known as the Southern Tagalog Mainland, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IV-A. The region comprises five provinces: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal; and one highly urba ...
,
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
, and some parts of
Central Luzon Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
and
Ilocos Region Ilocos Region ( ilo, Rehion/Deppaar ti Ilocos; pag, Sagor na Baybay na Luzon/Rehiyon Uno; tl, Rehiyon ng Ilocos) is an administrative region of the Philippines, designated as Region I, occupying the northwestern section of Luzon and part of ...
, resulting in the suspension of school classes, work schedules, and flights in the area, as well as temporarily drying up Taal Main Crater Lake and destroying Vulcan Point, an
Island An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ...
surrounded by the lake. The
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; tl, Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and ...
(PHIVOLCS) subsequently issued an Alert Level 4, indicating "that a hazardous
explosive eruption In volcanology, an explosive eruption is a volcanic eruption of the most violent type. A notable example is the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Such eruptions result when sufficient gas has dissolved under pressure within a viscous magma s ...
is possible within hours to days." Volcanic activity continued into 2021, when smaller eruptions occurred in July 2021. On March 26, 2022, a short-lived
phreatomagmatic eruption Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions cont ...
was recorded by PHIVOLCS raising the status from Alert level 2 to Alert level 3 as well as surrounding towns.


Volcanic activity


2020

The volcano erupted on the afternoon of January 12, 2020, 43 years after its previous eruption in 1977. According to PHIVOLCS director Dr. Renato Solidum, seismic swarms began at 11 am and were later followed by a
phreatic eruption A phreatic eruption, also called a phreatic explosion, ultravulcanian eruption or steam-blast eruption, occurs when magma heats ground water or surface water. The extreme temperature of the magma (anywhere from ) causes near-instantaneous evapo ...
from Volcano Island Main Crater at around 1pm
Philippine Standard Time Philippine Standard Time (PST or PhST; fil, Pamantayang Oras ng Pilipinas), also known as Philippine Time (PHT), is the official name for the time zone used in the Philippines. The country only uses one time zone, at an offset of UTC+08:00, b ...
(
UTC+8 UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. With an estimated population of 1.708 billion living within the time zone, roughly 24% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in the world, as well as a ...
). Loud rumbling sounds were also felt and heard from the volcano island. By 2:30pm, PHIVOLCS raised the alert status to Alert Level 2, although PHIVOLCS through its Taal Volcano Observatory had advised residents of Volcano Island to evacuate at around 1pm. Stronger explosions began around 3pm that spewed an ash column exceeding a kilometer high, prompting PHIVOLCS to upgrade the alert status to Alert Level 3 by 4pm. Furthermore, Solidum confirmed that there was a magmatic intrusion that was driving the volcano's unrest. PHIVOLCS advised evacuation of the towns of Balete, San Nicolas, and Talisay in
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and ...
and other towns within the shores of
Taal Lake Taal Lake ( tl, Lawa ng Taal, ), formerly known as Bombón Lake, is a freshwater caldera lake in the province of Batangas, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The lake fills Taal Volcano, a large volcanic caldera formed by very large ...
. By 7:30pm, PHIVOLCS upgraded the alert status to Alert Level 4 after volcanic activities intensified as "continuous eruption generated a tall steam-laden
tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism. Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, they re ...
column with frequent
volcanic lightning Volcanic lightning is an electrical discharge caused by a volcanic eruption rather than from an ordinary thunderstorm. Volcanic lightning arises from colliding, fragmenting particles of volcanic ash (and sometimes ice), which generate static elec ...
that rained wet
ashfall The Ashfall Fossil Beds of Antelope County in northeastern Nebraska are rare fossil sites of the type called lagerstätten that, due to extraordinary local conditions, capture an ecological "snapshot" in time of a range of well-preserved fossil ...
on the general north as far as
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was foun ...
and
Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
." Ashfall from the volcano were also experienced in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
and
Laguna Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...
, and reached as far as Metro Manila and
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tar ...
. On January 13, PHIVOLCS reported that the activity on its main crater had transitioned into a lava fountain between 2:48am to 4:28am. A
lava fountain Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
was recorded at 3:20am. The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman, DENR or KKLY) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, developmen ...
(DENR) presented a study that the
air quality index An air quality index (AQI) is used by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. AQI information is obtained by averaging readings from an air quality sensor, whi ...
of cities in Metro Manila had worsened;
Mandaluyong Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people. Lo ...
had the highest amount of inhalable coarse particulate matter (PM10) with 118, followed by
Las Piñas Las Piñas, officially the City of Las Piñas ( fil, Lungsod ng Las Piñas), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2 ...
(108) and
Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
(104), all of which were "considered unhealthy for sensitive groups" with respiratory issues. Meanwhile, the cities with the least amount of PM10 were
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
and
Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon ( fil, Lungsod ng Malabon), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just nort ...
, both with "good" amounts of 22 and 28 respectively. These were followed by "moderate/fair" amounts of PM10 in
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
(55),
Parañaque Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque ( fil, Lungsod ng Parañaque, ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 689,992 people. It is ...
(62) and
Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentratio ...
(63). By January 15, PHIVOLCS reported that the slightly acidic lake which filled the main crater prior to the eruption had dried up, which was after confirmed by European satellite observations. On January 28, the main crater emitted 800 meters of steam according to an 8am bulletin by PHIVOLCS. It was described as a "below instrumental detection", while Alert Level 3 remained raised. On August 18, PHIVOLCS reported a 20-meter steam emission from the volcano's main crater and several volcanic earthquakes within its vicinity. Subsequent earthquakes have been recorded until late August. PHIVOLCS asserted that the volcanic activity was normal but advised local governments to remain prepared in case of an eruption.


2021

In February 2021, after over a year of the 2020 eruption, the Batangas provincial government ordered residents from Taal Volcano Island to be preemptively evacuated due to the volcano's increasing activity. On March 9, PHIVOLCS raised the volcano's alert level to number 2 and said that it is showing signs of an "increased unrest". In late June, localities near the volcano experienced volcanic smog or
vog Vog is a form of air pollution that results when sulfur dioxide and other gases and particles emitted by an erupting volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic as ...
caused by the volcano's emission of
sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide ( IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic ...
, amounting to 14,326 tonnes on June 28. The vog was confirmed to have reached as far as the Central Luzon region. On July 1, the volcano erupted at around 3:16 p.m. local time and lasted for five minutes, and the alert level was raised from level 2 to level 3. The volcano had several smaller eruptions later that day. On July 4, PHIVOLCS reported Taal Volcano's highest sulfur dioxide emission on record. By July 7, the volcano had a short-lived
phreatomagmatic eruption Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions cont ...
occurred in the Main Crater at 5:18 a.m. local time and generated a grayish plume that rose 300 meters high before drifting southeast. This was followed by a phreatomagmatic burst and weak eruption at 8:47 a.m. for seven minutes, which generated another 300-meter-high plume. Two more phreatomagmatic events were recorded by
PHIVOLCS The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; tl, Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and ...
at 9:15 a.m. and 9:26 a.m., lasting for two minutes and five minutes. Another phreatomagmatic burst occurred at 11:56 a.m., which generated a 200-meter-high dark gray plume. Six short-lived phreatomagmatic eruptions were recorded in Taal on Wednesday alone, the latest being at 9:41 p.m., the report added, citing Paolo Reniva of the Taal Volcano Observatory. Also on July 8, another short-lived
phreatomagmatic eruption Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions cont ...
occurred in the Main Crater at 6:47 am local time and generated a 200-meter grayish plume. This was followed by three more phreatomagmatic bursts at 6:06 p.m., 9:21 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. On July 9, another phreatomagmatic burst occurred at 2:59 a.m. On July 23,
PHIVOLCS The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, ; tl, Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and ...
lowered the alert level status from Alert Level 3 to Level 2. After several months of continued unrest, series of 2 short-lived phreatomagmatic eruptions were recorded on several thermal webcams nearby at 1:46 a.m. and at 2:54 a.m. on November 17, 2021. There is also a chance there was another short-lived eruption a few days prior to the eruptions on the 17th.


2022

Between January 29 and 30, 2022, the volcano had nine phreatomagmatic bursts on its main crater. On March 26, PHIVOLCS raised the volcano's alert level status to Alert Level 3 due to a short lived-
phreatomagmatic eruption Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions cont ...
with the evacuation of around 1,100 residents around the area and surrounding towns. Two phreatomagmatic events were recorded in which it emitted toxic plumes of 800 meters and 400 meters. Locals have then reported an explosion near the crater around 1:00 pm (
Philippine Time Philippine Standard Time (PST or PhST; fil, Pamantayang Oras ng Pilipinas), also known as Philippine Time (PHT), is the official name for the time zone used in the Philippines. The country only uses one time zone, at an offset of UTC+08:00, bu ...
) with subsequent spurs of ashes around the lake. High level toxic emissions have been recorded as well as 14
volcanic earthquake A volcano tectonic earthquake is caused by the movement of magma beneath the surface of the Earth. The movement results in pressure changes where the rock around the magma has experienced stress. At some point, this stress can cause the rock to bre ...
s and 10
volcanic tremor A harmonic tremor is a sustained release of seismic and infrasonic energy typically associated with the underground movement of magma, the venting of volcanic gases from magma, or both. It is a long-duration release of seismic energy, with distin ...
s within the day. The next day on March 27, volcanic activities were relatively tranquil with almost no recorded earthquakes although sulfur dioxide emission still measured at 1,140 tonnes. On April 9, PHIVOLCS downgraded again the alert level status from Level 3 to Level 2.


Seismic activity

On February 13, 2020 the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), formerly known as the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), is a working group of various government, non-government, civil sector and private sector organizations o ...
(NDRRMC) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) have reported a total of 2,484
volcano tectonic earthquake A volcano tectonic earthquake is caused by the movement of magma beneath the surface of the Earth. The movement results in pressure changes where the rock around the magma has experienced stress. At some point, this stress can cause the rock to bre ...
s on the vicinity of the volcano since the eruption, 176 of which were felt. The strongest were a series of
magnitude Magnitude may refer to: Mathematics *Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction *Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object *Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector *Order of ...
earthquakes originating northwest of
Agoncillo, Batangas Agoncillo, officially the Municipality of Agoncillo ( tgl, Bayan ng Agoncillo), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,101 people. Etymology The town got i ...
, which were recorded at least thrice: at 11:56pm on January 12, 3:11am on January 13, and 6:35am later that day. As a result, an Intensity III ("weak") on the
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale The PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) is a seismic scale used and developed by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to measure the intensity of earthquakes. It was developed as upon a specific response to the ...
was felt in
Tagaytay Tagaytay, officially the City of Tagaytay ( fil, Lungsod ng Tagaytay), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,330 people. It is one of the country's most po ...
and an Intensity II ("slightly felt") was felt in
Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon ( fil, Lungsod ng Malabon), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just nort ...
. Between 11:39pm on January 13, 2020, and 5:50am the following day, PHIVOLCS reported a total of 44 earthquakes in the towns of
Calaca A calaca (, a colloquial Mexican Spanish name for skeleton) is a figure of a skull or skeleton (usually human) commonly used for decoration during the Mexican Day of the Dead festival, although they are made all year round. Description Tracing t ...
,
Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (m ...
, Lemery,
Mataasnakahoy Mataasnakahoy, officially the Municipality of Mataasnakahoy ( tgl, Bayan ng Mataasnakahoy), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,621 people. Mataasnakah ...
,
San Luis San Luis (Spanish for "Saint Louis") may refer to: Places Argentina * San Luis Province * San Luis, Argentina, capital of San Luis Province Belize * San Luis, Belize, in Orange Walk District Colombia * San Luis, Antioquia, a town and municipality ...
, Taal and Talisay in Batangas, and
Alfonso Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
in Cavite; among the strongest were a magnitude in Taal, which was felt at an Intensity III in Tagaytay, and a magnitude originating northeast of Talisay at 2:05am, measuring an Intensity IV ("moderately strong") in Tagaytay and Intensity II in Malabon and Pasay. As a result of these constant earthquakes, numerous
fissures A fissure is a long, narrow crack opening along the surface of Earth. The term is derived from the Latin word , which means 'cleft' or 'crack'. Fissures emerge in Earth's crust, on ice sheets and glaciers, and on volcanoes. Ground fissure A ...
or cracks appeared across different
barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolit ...
s in the Batangas towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, San Nicolas, and Talisay, the towns within the 14-kilometer radius danger zone of Taal. A fissure also transected the road connecting Agoncillo to Laurel. On January 15, PHIVOLCS reported that the water in Main Crater Lake on Volcano Island had drained; the lake measured 1.9 kilometers wide and above sea level. Portions of the
Pansipit River The Pansipit River is a short river located in the Batangas province of the Philippines. The river is the sole drainage outlet of Taal Lake, which empties to Balayan Bay. The river stretches some passing along the municipalities of Agoncillo, ...
, had also drained as a result of "the ground deformation caused by an upward movement of the
magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natura ...
"; it was the same process that caused the series of earthquakes. PHIVOLCS have also hinted at the possible existence of underwater fissures in Taal Lake into which the water may have drained. By January 27, from 5 am until January 28, only 3 volcanic earthquakes were recorded with magnitudes 1.5 to 2.2, with no felt event. As recorded by the
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
, 92 earthquakes were detected in the past 24 hours. Four of them are low frequency events, which are "caused by cracks resonating as magma and gases move toward the surface". PHIVOLCS also noted the low frequency events and they recorded 170 volcanic earthquakes in its 8am bulletin.


Impact


Casualties

A total of 39 people died as a result of this eruption of Taal, although only one reported case was directly caused by the eruption on January 12, 2020. According to the ''
Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...
'', people either perished because they refused to follow the evacuation order or decided to return to their homes, or died in the evacuation centers of heart attacks caused by anxiety. One person died in a collision along the
South Luzon Expressway The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), signed as E2 of the Philippine expressway network and R-3 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a limited-access toll expressway that connects Metro Manila to the provinces in the Calabarzon regio ...
in
Calamba, Laguna Calamba, officially the City of Calamba ( fil, Lungsod ng Calamba), is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 539,671 people. Calamba is the regional center of t ...
during "zero visibility" conditions caused by ashfall. On February 15, 2020, a body of a man was recovered under mud and ash at Taal Volcano Island.


Economic

Demand for
N95 mask An N95 filtering facepiece respirator, commonly abbreviated N95 respirator, is a particulate-filtering facepiece respirator that meets the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) N95 classification of air filtratio ...
s increased rapidly during the eruption and later, the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
(after the Philippines' first case was reported on January 30), with some stores inflating its prices to ($3.95) a piece from the standard –40 ($0.49–0.79). The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) dispatched teams to monitor and observe the movement of retail prices in the market and warned businesses against raising prices for higher profit margins. After DTI inspection, Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo commented that some medical establishments were selling 'fake' N95 masks, some of which are not medical-grade, and could still let in large foreign air particulates. Due to the outcome of surprise inspections and consumer complaints, DTI has imposed notices of violation to 12 of the 17 stores that were inspected in Bambang,
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
, citing that these businesses will be charged with administrative and criminal cases for violating the Consumer Act.
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
Mayor
Isko Moreno Francisco Moreno Domagoso (born October 24, 1974), popularly known by his stage name Isko Moreno or Isko Moreno Domagoso (), is a Filipino politician and actor who previously served as the 27th mayor of Manila from 2019 to 2022. Before heading ...
threatened to revoke the permits of medical supply chains in the city involved in the price hike of face masks.
Mercury Drug The Mercury Drug Corporation, better known as Mercury Drug, is a Filipino pharmacy chain. A subsidiary of the Mercury Group of Companies, it is headquartered in Bagumbayan, Quezon City. The chain was founded in Santa Cruz, Manila in 1945, mak ...
, a major pharmaceutical chain, pledged to replenish supply for the masks where prices would remain steady and that it would not hoard the supply. The Department of Health imposed
price controls Price controls are restrictions set in place and enforced by governments, on the prices that can be charged for goods and services in a market. The intent behind implementing such controls can stem from the desire to maintain affordability of good ...
on health-related goods, including face masks, to protect consumers from profiteering and hoarding. The DOH mandates that the prices of N95 masks, in particular, should range between –105 ($0.89–2.07). The
Philippine Stock Exchange The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. ( fil, Pamilihang Sapi ng Pilipinas; ) is the national stock exchange of the Philippines. The exchange was created in 1992 from the merger of the Manila Stock Exchange and the Makati Stock Exchange. Includin ...
suspended trading following the eruption on January 13. The
Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
(DA) reported that the damage to crops caused by the eruption are estimated to be ($60.1 million), covering that includes 1,967 animals. Fisheries in the Taal Lake, consisting of about 6,000
fish cage upright=1.3, mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or pisciculture involves commercial animal husbandry, breeding of fish, ...
s to capture a total of 15,033 metric tons of fish, suffered losses of ($31.4 million). ''
Kapeng barako ''Kapeng barako'' ( es, café varraco or café verraco), also known as Barako coffee or Batangas coffee, is a coffee varietal grown in the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite. It belongs to the species ''Coffea l ...
'' and ''
Coffea liberica ''Coffea liberica'', commonly known as the Liberian coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae from which coffee is produced. It is native to western and central Africa from Liberia to Uganda and Angola, and has become natu ...
'' crops, major products of Batangas and Cavite, have damages worth at least ($7.08 million) for 8,240 metric tons and of land. Pineapple plantations in the Cavite towns of
Amadeo Amadeo is a Spanish and Portuguese name derived from the Latin name Amadeus. It may refer to: People * for people with the first name Amadeo * Amadeo I of Spain (1845–1890) * Amadeo Bordiga (1889–1970), founder of the Communist Party of Ital ...
, Silang and
General Trias General Trias, officially the City of General Trias ( fil, Lungsod ng General Trias), is a 1st class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 450,583 people. Etymology During ...
lost 21,079 metric tons of pineapple worth ($10.4 million). Rice crops in of fields across Calabarzon were lost, amounting to ($109,985), while 5,329 metric tons of corn placed losses at ($1.7 million). The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation reassured around 1,200 farmers and fishermen in Batangas that they are insured of a three-year zero-interest survival and recovery loan worth ($494.13) each, to be provided by the Mount Carmel Rural Bank. The DA plans to distribute materials and mechanisms for crop and livestock intervention worth ($3.1 million), which includes 5,000
coffea ''Coffea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. ''Coffea'' species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor variou ...
mother plant A mother plant is a plant grown for the purpose of taking cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for cutting a ...
s and 1,000
cocoa bean The cocoa bean (technically cocoa seed) or simply cocoa (), also called the cacao bean (technically cacao seed) or cacao (), is the dried and fully fermented seed of '' Theobroma cacao'', from which cocoa solids (a mixture of nonfat substa ...
seedlings from the Bureau of Plant Industry, to 17 local government units in Batangas. The
Philippine Carabao Center The Philippine Carabao Center ( fil, Sentro ng Kalabaw sa Pilipinas or ''Sentro ng Pilipinas para sa Kalabaw'') an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, was established at Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija province in 1992 to bre ...
and National Dairy Authority delivered of corn
silage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants ( cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage ...
s and of
rice straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry stalk Stalk or stalking may refer to: Behaviour * Stalk, the stealthy approach (phase) of a predator towards its prey * Stalking, an act of intrusive behaviour or unwanted attenti ...
s, a total of of
dietary fiber Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by th ...
, to Batangas. A
brickworks A brickworks, also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 S ...
in
Biñan Biñan (), officially the City of Biñan ( fil, Lungsod ng Biñan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 407,437 people. Biñan, also known as Biniang, has be ...
, Laguna used the ash spewed from Taal to manufacture hollow blocks and bricks. Through a combination of ash, sand, cement and discarded plastic waste, around 5,000 bricks were manufactured a day and used to rebuild houses and other buildings that were damaged by the eruption. Biñan Mayor Arman Dimaguila formally instructed residents in the city to help gather ashes and deliver it to the local brickworks. The
Smart Smart or SMART may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014 * Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com * ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper * '' SMart'', a children's television se ...
and
Globe A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model glo ...
telephone companies offered free calls, internet services and charging stations for those affected. Water concessionaire
Manila Water Manila Water Company, Inc. has the exclusive right to provide water and used water (wastewater) services to over six million people in the East Zone of Metro Manila. It is a subsidiary of the country's oldest conglomerate, Ayala Corporation. In ...
, in cooperation with Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, sent a convoy of 30 water tankers to various evacuation centers in Batangas. The company is also sending an initial 2,000 five-gallon units of bottled water.
Meralco The Manila Electric Company (), also known as Meralco (, ), is an electric power distribution company in the Philippines. It is Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for 22 cities and 89 munic ...
, the country's leading power distributor, assembled
solar-powered Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic ef ...
mobile charging stations at various evacuation centers across
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
.
PhilPost The Philippine Postal Corporation ( fil, Korporasyong Pangkoreo ng Pilipinas), abbreviated as PHLPost and also known as the Philippine Post Office, is a government-owned and controlled corporation responsible for providing postal services in the ...
announced on January 16 that it would suspend delivery and acceptance of mail in Batangas towns near the Taal Volcano which falls within the "danger zone".


Health

The Department of Health advised the public to remain indoors and minimize outdoor activities. They also advised the public to refrain from purchasing and consuming
freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...
from the Taal Lake, such as
tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most i ...
and ''
Sardinella tawilis ''Sardinella tawilis'' (the freshwater sardinella, freshwater herring, bombon sardine or freshwater sardine) is a freshwater sardine found exclusively in the Philippines. It is the only member of the genus '' Sardinella'' known to exist entirely ...
'', as these may have been affected by the sulfur from the eruption. Agriculture Secretary
William Dar William Dollente Dar (born April 10, 1953) is a Filipino horticulturist and public servant who served as the Secretary of Agriculture under the Duterte administration. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 5, 2019, to replace Emm ...
clarified that fruits and vegetables filled with ash, including the ''
Coffea liberica ''Coffea liberica'', commonly known as the Liberian coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae from which coffee is produced. It is native to western and central Africa from Liberia to Uganda and Angola, and has become natu ...
'' fruits that are homegrown in Batangas and Cavite, are safely consumable upon cleansing.


Air traffic

On January 12, 2020, the
Manila International Airport Authority The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA; fil, Pangasiwaan ng Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Maynila) is a government-owned and controlled corporation and agency under the Department of Transportation of the Philippines responsible for the m ...
(MIAA) suspended all flights to and from all terminals of
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA , ; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino or ''Pandaigdigang Paliparan ng Ninoy Aquino''; ), originally known and still commonly referred to as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main ...
(NAIA) in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
following the eruption due to the various hazardous effects of volcanic ash on flight safety. The MIAA recorded that at least 516 flights from and to NAIA were suspended, with about 80,000 passengers affected. On January 13, operations at NAIA resumed partially from 10am onwards, although many flights still remained canceled or delayed. A number of international flights bound for NAIA were diverted to either
Clark International Airport Clark International Airport ( pam, Pangyatung Sulapawan ning Clark; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Clark; ), known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2012, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of ...
in
Angeles City , anthem = Himno ning Angeles (Angeles Hymn) , subdivision_type3 = District , subdivision_name3 = , established_title = Settled , established_date = 1796 , established_title1 = Charter ...
,
Mactan–Cebu International Airport Mactan–Cebu International Airport ( ceb, Tugpahanang Pangkalibutan sa Mactan–Sugbo; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan–Cebu; ) is an international airport serving Metro Cebu and serves as the main gateway to the Central Visayas region ...
,
Haneda Airport , officially , and sometimes called as Tokyo Haneda Airport or Haneda International Airport , is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primar ...
in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
,
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distingu ...
, or
Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, east of the capital city of Hagåtña (formerly Agana) in the United States territory of Guam. The airport ...
in
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic ce ...
. By January 14, 604 flights were canceled according to the NDRRMC. However, by January 15, 537 of those flights had resumed operations. The
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP, ; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Abyasyong Sibil ng Pilipinas) is the civil aviation authority of the Philippines and is responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, econ ...
advised the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corporation to suspend flights at Clark International Airport as reports indicate that ash could reach the area. On January 13, only ten flights were reported to have been canceled, while nine flights were delayed. At Mactan–Cebu International Airport (MCIA), only 25 domestic flights (all bound for NAIA) and one international flight were canceled, all of which were on January 14. However, the MCIA had to accommodate five international flights bound for NAIA that were diverted. The GMR–Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), the operator of the MCIA, requested that all diverted flights should be accommodated on a "first-come, first-serve basis" depending on the availability of aircraft parking bays. Aside from hotel bookings, passengers of the diverted flights were given small food packs. MCIA provided passengers with free bus services for inter-airport transfers and city hotel transfers. Retail stores and food concessionaires at the airport terminals immediately restocked their supply and offered discounts for passengers, available from January 12 to 14.


Sports

Collegiate leagues, the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univers ...
(UAAP) and the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...
(NCAA) postponed games to be held in
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
on January 13, 2020, due to ash fall. The junior basketball and junior football ties were to be held by the UAAP and volleyball games for the NCAA. The
AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...
match between Ceres–Negros and Shan United scheduled for January 14, 2020, at the
Rizal Memorial Stadium The Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium (simply known as the Rizal Memorial Stadium; officially the Simeon Toribio Track Stadium) is the main stadium of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Philippines. It served as the main stad ...
in Manila was threatened to be postponed due to ash fall the day before but match officials decided that game should push through.


Response


Local response


2020

On January 13, 2020, the provincial board of Batangas declared the province under a
state of calamity A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
following the eruption, ordering the evacuation of residents within a radius of from the volcano. The
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
issued a situation report stating that an estimated number of 459,300 people are within the 14-kilometer danger zone; charity organization
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
estimated that 21,000 of those are children. According to the NDRRMC situational report for January 18, 2020, a total of 16,174 families or 70,413 individuals are taking shelter in 300 evacuation centers. These evacuation centers consist of over 140 schools across Batangas,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
and
Laguna Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...
, according to the
Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
(DepEd). A total of 96,061 people were affected and electricity was cut in seven municipalities and cities across Batangas and Cavite. The Talisay–Tagaytay Road in Calabarzon was temporarily closed because of the evacuation of the residents. Heavy ashfall reduced visibility to near zero in some parts of the
Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road The Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road, also known as the Tagaytay–Santa Rosa Road and the Santa Rosa–Ulat–Tagaytay Road, is a major thoroughfare in the provinces of Laguna and Cavite, Philippines. Originally an old road linking the Santa Rosa mun ...
. The
Department of Social Welfare and Development The Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kagalingan at Pagpapaunlad Panlipunan, Kagawaran ng Kagalingang Panlipunan at Pagpapaunlad, abbreviated as DSWD) is the executive department of the Philippine Go ...
(DSWD) also stated that there are 5,000 family food packs and sleeping kits on the way for distribution to the evacuation centers. The DSWD and the
Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...
(DOH) handed a combined total of (US$96,656) worth of assistance to the affected residents in Calabarzon. On January 15, 2020, Cavite Governor
Jonvic Remulla Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Catibayan Remulla Jr. (born October 23, 1967) is a Filipino politician serving as the governor of Cavite since 2019, previously holding the position from 2010 to 2016. He also previously served as the vice governor and ...
declared the province under a state of calamity. A state of calamity was declared in the whole
Calabarzon Calabarzon (), formally known as the Southern Tagalog Mainland, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IV-A. The region comprises five provinces: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal; and one highly urba ...
region via ''Proclamation No. 906'' which was signed by President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
on February 21. The declaration is set to last for one year unless lifted. Interior Secretary
Eduardo Año Eduardo Manahan Año (; born October 26, 1961) is a Filipino public official and retired general of the Philippine Army who served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2018 to 202 ...
directed the governors, mayors and local chief executives of
Central Luzon Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
, the
National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...
and
Southern Tagalog Southern Tagalog ( fil, Timog Katagalugan, also known colloquially as ''Rehiyong Timog Tagalog''), designated as Region IV, was an administrative region in the Philippines that comprised the current regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, the provi ...
to convene their
disaster risk reduction Disaster risk reduction (DRR) sometimes called disaster risk management (DRM) is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing ...
and management councils and instantly activate their
incident management An incident is an event that could lead to loss of, or disruption to, an organization's operations, services or functions. Incident management (IcM) is a term describing the activities of an organization to identify, analyze, and correct hazards ...
teams,
network operations center A network operations center (NOC, pronounced like the word ''knock''), also known as a "network management center", is one or more locations from which network monitoring and control, or network management, is exercised over a computer, tele ...
s and other
disaster response Disaster response is the second phase of the disaster management cycle. It consists of a number of elements, for example; warning/evacuation, search and rescue, providing immediate assistance, assessing damage, continuing assistance and the immed ...
teams. The
Department of the Interior and Local Government The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public sa ...
tasked the
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
(PNP) to deploy their disaster incident management task forces, reactionary standby forces and
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
units to the affected areas, while the
Bureau of Fire Protection The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP; Filipino: ''Kawanihan ng Pagtatanggol sa Sunog'') is the government body in the Philippines responsible for the provision of fire services. It is under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and ...
were tasked to assist the PNP and local government units in the mandatory evacuation of affected residents. Año also urged the public to donate basic necessities to the victims through the local government units. The
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Pagpapaunlad ng Kalakhang Maynila) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital ...
,
Philippine Air Force The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
and
Philippine Navy The Philippine Navy (PN) ( tgl, Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, , Sea Army of the Philippines) ( es, Armada de Filipinas, , Ejército del Mar de las Filipinas) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an es ...
personnel have been dispatched to help the victims of the Taal volcano eruption. President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
, who was in
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
during the eruption, ordered Executive Secretary
Salvador Medialdea Salvador "Bingbong" Campo Medialdea (born October 14, 1951) is a Filipino lawyer, business executive and government administrator who served as the Executive Secretary of the Philippines, succeeding Paquito Ochoa Jr. at the start of President Ro ...
to suspend classes and government work in Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Metro Manila. President Duterte flew to Manila on the morning of January 13 and continued with his scheduled activities there. Duterte visited evacuees in
Batangas City Batangas City, officially the City of Batangas ( fil, Lungsod ng Batangas), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 351,437 people. Batangas City ...
on January 14, 2020, and pledged to provide financial assistance worth ($2.6 million) to the affected residents. He approved the recommendation of Defense Secretary
Delfin Lorenzana Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, OLH, KGOR (born October 28, 1948) is a retired Philippine Army general who served as Secretary of National Defense in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. He served in the Philippine Army from 1 ...
to prohibit individuals from visiting or inhabiting the Taal island, declaring it a "
no man's land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
". While addressing evacuees in Batangas City, President Duterte also pushed for the construction of additional evacuation centers to be built "simultaneously" in disaster-prone areas during his administration. Concurrently, Vice President
Leni Robredo Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She was the wife of the late Jesse Ro ...
visited the municipalities of Santa Teresita and San Jose, and the city of
Santo Tomas Santo Tomás is Spanish for Saint Thomas (disambiguation), Saint Thomas. Santo Tomas may also refer to: Places Argentina * Santo Tomás, Buenos Aires, Carlos Casares Partido, Buenos Aires Province * Santo Tomás, Neuquén Colombia *Santo ...
in Batangas, where she helped distribute food packs and face masks to the affected residents. Robredo stressed the lack of medicines, toilets, toiletries and sleeping mats being provided to them, other than food and water. She also requested local officials to prepare an inventory of the damage. Following the eruption, several members of the
Philippine Senate The Senate of the Philippines (Filipino: ''Senado ng Pilipinas'', also ''Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas'' or "upper chamber") is the upper house of Congress of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines with the House of Representatives as ...
called for more action from government institutions in assisting the victims.
Joel Villanueva Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva (, born August 2, 1975), nicknamed "Tesdaman", is a Filipino politician serving as the Senate Majority Leader since 2022 and has been a Senator since 2016. He previously served as the Director General of the Techn ...
urged the
Department of Labor and Employment The Department of Labor and Employment ( fil, Kagawaran ng Paggawa at Empleyo}, commonly abbreviated as DOLE) is one of the executive departments of the Philippine government mandated to formulate policies, implement programs and services, an ...
to issue an advisory that would guide private firms in the affected areas on deciding whether their operations should continue, considering the health and safety of its employees. Villanueva called on employers and designated safety officers to assess the safety conditions of the workplaces.
Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipina politician and former actress serving as a Senator since 2019. She is the daughter of Ferdinand Marcos and former first lady Imelda Marcos and the o ...
urged the DOH and the
Barangay Health Volunteers Barangay health volunteers, also known as barangay health workers, are health care providers in the Philippines. They undergo a basic training program under an accredited government or non-government organization, and render primary care servic ...
to prioritize providing
clinical audit Clinical audit is a process that has been defined as a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care against explicit criteria and the implementation of change The key component of ...
s to all evacuees for them to easily access medical health care.
Francis Pangilinan Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan (; born August 24, 1963) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and farm owner who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 2004 to 2008. A ...
urged the
Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
to provide long-term funding assistance and initiate alternative livelihood programs for the affected farmers and farmworkers. Pangilinan also urged the establishment of refuge areas for the pets of evacuees, as well as rescued stray animals from the affected areas.
Nancy Binay Maria Lourdes "Nancy" Sombillo Binay-Angeles (born May 12, 1973) is a Filipina politician serving as a Senator since 2013. She is the daughter of former Vice President Jejomar Binay. Without any prior experience in government, Binay placed a bi ...
and
Risa Hontiveros Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician, community leader, and journalist who has been serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. She previously served as a party-list representativ ...
called on the DOH and DSWD to include
N95 mask An N95 filtering facepiece respirator, commonly abbreviated N95 respirator, is a particulate-filtering facepiece respirator that meets the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) N95 classification of air filtratio ...
s, the prescribed mask for cases of volcanic ash, and other protective equipment in the provision of relief goods. Hontiveros also urged the DOH to provide
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
services, such as access to therapists, to victims who may have been traumatized by the disaster. On January 16, Cavite-based Senator
Bong Revilla Ramon Bautista Bong Revilla Jr. (; born Jose Mari Bautista; September 25, 1966) and commonly known as Bong Revilla, is a Filipino actor, television presenter and politician serving as a Senator since 2019, and previously from 2004 to 2016. The ...
participated in the distribution of relief goods in several towns of his home province, which had been placed under a state of calamity. Some senators also proposed for additional measures to be implemented in the wake of the eruption. Senate President
Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Lea ...
proposed
cloud seeding Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification that aims to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical ...
as a method to clear the fallen ash and debris. Officials from PHIVOLCS and
PAGASA Pagasa may refer to: * ''Pagasa'' (genus), an insect genus in the family Nabidae * PAGASA, an acronym for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration *"May Pagasa", a pen-name of José Rizal *Pagasa, alternate ...
, however, rejected the proposal fearing that cloud seeding may result in acid rain or
lahar A lahar (, from jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. Lahars are extreme ...
s.
Sherwin Gatchalian Sherwin Ting Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974), known as Win Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2016. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), he previously served as the Representative of ...
urged the
Philippine Congress The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, although colloquially the ter ...
to pass an additional budget of ($196.4 million) to the nation's existing calamity budget, as at least ($687.9 million) is at stake from the damages caused by the eruption. In the
Philippine House of Representatives The House of Representatives of the Philippines ( fil, Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas, italic=unset, ''Kamara'' or ''Kamara de Representantes'' from the Spanish word ''cámara'', meaning "chamber") is the lower house of Congress, th ...
, House Speaker
Alan Peter Cayetano Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving as a Senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 201 ...
( Pateros–Taguig) directed Leyte 4th district representative
Lucy Torres-Gomez Lucy Torres-Gomez (born Lucy Marie Martinez Torres; December 11, 1974), is a Filipina actress and politician. She has served as Mayor of Ormoc and as the Representative for Leyte's 4th legislative district from June 2013 to June 2022, and pre ...
, chairperson of the House Committee on Disaster Management, to collaborate with other relevant committees, government agencies and urban planning experts in composing a short-term and long-term comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the affected areas. Cavite 4th district representative
Elpidio Barzaga Jr. Elpidio "Pidi" Frani Barzaga Jr. (born March 25, 1950) is a Filipino lawyer and politician from the province of Cavite. He is the incumbent Congressman of Dasmariñas and is the mayor of the said city. During the 2020 House hearing on ABS-CBN fr ...
filed House Resolution 643, ordering the House to conduct an investigation on the lack of warning from PHIVOLCS regarding the imminent eruption. Barzaga stated that PHIVOLCS had issued an Alert Level 1 on Taal Volcano (indicating a "slight increase in volcanic activity") since March 2019, but he claimed that it failed to properly disseminate information to the public. The resolution also probes the presence of permanent settlements in the Taal island, despite the PHIVOLCS having already declared the island a "permanent danger zone". House Majority Leader
Martin Romualdez Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez (, born November 14, 1963) is a Filipino businessman, lawyer and politician serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since July 25, 2022. He is also serving as the Representative for the 1st dis ...
( Leyte 1st district), however, defended PHIVOLCS by implying the difficulty in predicting the occurrence of volcanic eruptions. Romualdez added that the House allotted to PHIVOLCS an additional ($4.3 million) in order to reform "the country's monitoring and warning program for volcanic eruption." Senator
Grace Poe Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe-Llamanzares (baptized September 3, 1968) is a Filipino politician, businesswoman, educator, and philanthropist serving as a senator since 2013. She was the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Cla ...
and Albay 2nd district representative
Joey Salceda Jose Ma. Clemente "Joey" Sarte Salceda (, born October 26, 1961) is a Filipino politician and the current Representative of Albay's 2nd District in the Philippine House of Representatives. He previously served as governor of Albay province in th ...
pushed Congress to immediately pass the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) Bill to create the said department, an
executive department The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...
responsible for disaster response and
emergency management Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...
. Poe illustrated that the DDR would place the existing NDRRMC under its organizational structure and create three new bureaus (disaster resiliency, disaster preparation and response, and knowledge management and dissemination). Salceda criticized the government's current system of disaster response mobilization that requires a "time consuming and confusing" inter-agency coordination, adding that the creation of the DDR would resolve these issues by "unifying the different functions" to ensure the efficiency of disaster relief goods and personnel. Several provinces have contributed humanitarian aid to the affected residents. The provincial government of Pampanga has sent aid, totaling in 8,500 food packs, plus teams of medical personnel, social workers, and search and rescue personnel for deployment. In addition, city governments across
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
have also contributed aid, ranging from in-kind donations, toiletries, food packs, N95 masks and others. Other local governments soon pitched help, including the provincial governments of
Quirino Quirino, officially the Province of Quirino ( ilo, Probinsia ti Quirino; tl, Lalawigan ng Quirino), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Cabarroguis. It is named after Elp ...
and
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...
, which donated food packs and medical supplies. Meanwhile, farmers and traders in the provinces of
Benguet Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet; ilo, Probinsia ti Benguet; ), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the islan ...
and
Nueva Vizcaya Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya ( ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Vizcaya; gad, Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Vizcaya''; tl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Vizcaya ), is a landlocked province in the ...
donated vegetables to the Taal victims. The autonomous regional government of
Bangsamoro ar, منطقة بانجسامورو ذاتية الحكم فى مسلمى مينداناو , native_name = , settlement_type = Autonomous region , anthem = Bangsamoro Hymn , image_skyline ...
also sent -worth of food and non-food items as aid. The fanbase of pop singer
Sarah Geronimo Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo-Guidicelli (, , born July 25, 1988) is a Filipino singer, performer and actress. Geronimo rose to prominence after winning the television singing contest '' Star for a Night'' earning her a recording contract with Vi ...
organized a charity public event at
Luneta Park Rizal Park ( fil, Liwasang Rizal, es, link=no, Parque Rizal), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area ...
in Manila on January 18 where attendees participated in a
flash mob A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via t ...
of the viral "
Tala Tala may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics *''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral *Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music * "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
" dance challenge. The proceeds for participating in the event would be forwarded to the
Philippine Red Cross The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; fil, Krus na Pula ng Pilipinas) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Rev ...
for donations to the eruption victims. The
University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
will open its own map data of the volcano from 2014 to 2017 through its UP Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry to the public to speed up the rehabilitation of the affected areas. In October 2020, the
National Housing Authority (Philippines) The National Housing Authority (NHA) is a government agency responsible for public housing in the Philippines. Established on July 31, 1975, it is organized as a government-owned and controlled corporation In the Philippines, a government-ow ...
(NHA) revealed that the
Department of Budget and Management The Department of Budget and Management (DBM; fil, Kagawaran ng Badyet at Pamamahala) is an executive body under the Office of the President of the Philippines. It is responsible for the sound and efficient use of government resources for nati ...
has not yet allotted a budget to the agency for the relocation of displaced residents, though to compensate the NHA has opened its inventory of 10,000 available housing units in
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and ...
,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
and
Laguna Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...
to the evacuees.


2021

As the result of 2021 eruption, over 4,000 residents from three barangays near the volcano in the province's municipality of
Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (m ...
voluntarily left their homes that night and were subsequently sheltered, 16 kilometers away from the area. Some evacuees were brought to
Nasugbu Nasugbu, officially the Municipality of Nasugbu ( tgl, Bayan ng Nasugbu), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 136,524 people. Several bus services provide ...
while the others in
Alfonso, Cavite Alfonso, officially the Municipality of Alfonso ( tgl, Bayan ng Alfonso), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 59,306 people. History Alfonso was totally fores ...
, where the latter will conduct a COVID-19 antigen test for the individuals in their area. Meanwhile, the NDRRMC reported that 1,282 individuals from nearby municipalities of the province flee from their towns and are in evacuation shelters on July 2, 2021. The
Department of Social Welfare and Development The Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kagalingan at Pagpapaunlad Panlipunan, Kagawaran ng Kagalingang Panlipunan at Pagpapaunlad, abbreviated as DSWD) is the executive department of the Philippine Go ...
(DSWD) have prepared over ₱1.4 million (US$28,419) worth of food packs and ₱11 million (US$223,297) in non-food items for the evacuees. The Southern Luzon Command of the AFP were also dispatched in Batangas to aid the Calabarzon Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) and local government units (LGUs) in the area, while the Calabarzon police forces were on alert since July 2 due to the volcano's activity.


2022

The PHIVOLCS advised the evacuation of high risk areas, such as the Volcano Island, which have been considered as a permanent danger zone, the barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga in the town of Agoncillo, and the barangays of Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in the town of
Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (m ...
. The NDRRMC reported that at least 9,000 individuals from municipalities of the province of Batangas are evacuated.


International response

The Philippine government, while it said that it would accept any international aid, has stated that it will not actively seek for foreign aid believing that it still has the capability to deal with the Taal Volcano eruption. The
China Coast Guard China Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police of China. It is currently the world's largest coast guard. Function The CCG is known to perform mostl ...
donated 600 pieces of N95 masks, food packs, and other relief goods to evacuees in Batangas through the
Philippine Coast Guard The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ( fil, Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Ph ...
. The
United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible f ...
and its
Volcano Disaster Assistance Program The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the United States Agency for International Development's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance after the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) in ...
, through the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, is providing
thermographic camera Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared ...
s and remote technical support to assist the Philippine government in monitoring Taal's volcanic activity.
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
has also pledged US$200,000 in humanitarian aid through the Philippine Red Cross. The
Singapore Red Cross The Singapore Red Cross (SRC), formally the Singapore Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Singapore. The SRC is a national member of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Internat ...
on their part relayed about S$67,000-worth of humanitarian aid to support the operations of their Philippine counterpart. The
Emirates Red Crescent The Red Crescent Society of the United Arab Emirates is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The authority was founded in Abu Dhabi in 1983 with support of the late She ...
also sent a delegation to the Philippines to assist on the relief operations. American comedian
Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his satirical comedy sketch series '' Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006), which he starred in until quitting in the middle of ...
, who visited Manila during the eruption, donated ($19,671) to the relief efforts for the eruption victims through the Rayomar Outreach Foundation. The
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
, through its Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT), has donated () in humanitarian aid which includes emergency shelter, psychosocial support services including child protection services and essential household items.


See also

*
List of large volcanic eruptions in the 21st century This is a list of volcanic eruptions in the 21st century with a Volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 4 or higher, and smaller eruptions that resulted in fatalities, significant damage or disruptions. See also *List of volcanic eruptions 1500–1 ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taal Volcano 2020 disasters in the Philippines 2020 natural disasters 2021 disasters in the Philippines Volcanic eruptions in 2021 2021 natural disasters January 2020 events in the Philippines July 2021 events in the Philippines Phreatomagmatic eruptions VEI-4 eruptions Volcanic eruptions in the Philippines Volcanic eruptions in 2022 Plinian eruptions