Over 3,700 people stay in evacuation centers due to Taal Volcano unrest —Batangas police

A total of 3,788 people or 1,072 families have sought shelter at evacuation centers as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday due to the unrest of Taal Volcano, the Batangas Provincial Police Office said.

Among the towns and cities that enforced evacuation of their residents due to Taal’s ongoing activity were Agoncillo, Laurel, Taal, Lemery, Balete, Cuenca, Mataas na Kahoy, San Nicolas, Talisay City, and Tanauan City, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

In its Tuesday report, the NDRRMC said 2,565 people or 709 families affected by Taal were staying outside evacuation centers.

At least 77 barangays were affected by the ongoing activity of the volcano.

Also, class suspensions were reported in 23 local government units in Calabarzon, according to the NDRRMC.

Assistance worth P1,849,765 was provided to affected residents. At least 350 food packs and 600 food items were given, the NDRRMC said.

Alert Level 3 remains in effect over Taal Volcano on Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said in an 8 a.m. bulletin.

In the past 24 hours, 39 volcanic earthquakes, including two volcanic tremor events with durations of three to five minutes, 35 low frequency volcanic earthquakes, and two hybrid earthquakes were recorded.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission from the volcano averaged 5,299 tonnes per day on Monday.

The high levels of SO2 gas emissions and steam-rich plumes from the Taal main crater reached up to 3,000 meters high that drifted south and east.

On Thursday, PHIVOLCS escalated the warning from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3 over the volcano after its phreatomagmatic eruption, which was followed by weaker explosions. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News