The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), in an exclusive interview on DZRH, confirmed that Taal Volcano experienced a brief, minor phreatomagmatic eruption on Friday evening, lasting about four minutes from 7:11 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. PHIVOLCS Director Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol said that the eruption produced a plume reaching approximately 900 meters before quickly subsiding.
Bacolcol said the activity was not unexpected, noting that Taal experiences minor phreatomagmatic eruptions “every now and then,” with similar events recorded on December 26 and earlier dates. He explained that such eruptions occur when magma interacts with water from Taal Lake, resulting in sudden but short-lived explosive activity.
The PHIVOLCS chief stressed that there were no external triggers and that the volcano’s condition returned to normal after the brief event. However, he cautioned that similar eruptions could still occur intermittently and cannot be precisely predicted.
Comparing the incident to Taal’s major eruption in 2020, Bacolcol said the earlier event was more explosive due to a long period of volcanic inactivity prior to that year.
Bacolcol also provided an update on Mayon Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3, with recent monitoring recording increased rockfall and pyroclastic density current events.
PHIVOLCS reiterated its advisory for residents and visitors to strictly avoid entering Taal Volcano Island, which remains a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), citing the sudden and unpredictable nature of phreatomagmatic eruptions.
