(Eagle News) — The Philippine Coast Guard has been placed on heightened alert following Taal’s phreatomagmatic activity that prompted authorities to raise its alert level to 3.
According to the PCG, a deployable response group (DRG) from PCG Station Batangas has been deployed to monitor the situation in the area.
Coast Guard Admiral Artemio Abu has also ordered PCG Sub-Station Talisay and PCG Sub-Station San Nicolas to conduct patrols and enforce a “forced evacuation” of fishermen and fish cage workers in Taal Volcano waters.
The PCG said two PCG trucks are also on standby in Batangas to help in the evacuation of residents.
The alert level over Taal was raised from 2 on Saturday following what the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said was “nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity that generated plumes 1500 m accompanied by volcanic earthquake and infrasound signals.”
According to PHIVOLCS, the phreatomagmatic activity followed a “short-lived phreatomagmatic burst.”
With the raising of the alert level from alert level 2, PHIVOLCS said this means that there’s “magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions.”
