Coast Guard on heightened alert after Alert Level 3 raised over Taal Volcano

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday said it is on heightened alert after Alert Level 3 was hoisted over Taal Volcano.

PCG Commandant Coast Guard Admiral Artemio Abu gave the order for heightened alert after Taal Volcano had a phreatomagmatic burst at past 7 a.m.

The PCG Station in Batangas dispatched a deployable response group to monitor the situation around the volcano.

ATM: Ayon sa deployable response group (DRG) ng @coastguardph Station Batangas, kapansin-pansin ang pagkalma ng Bulkang Taal matapos ang pag-a-alboroto nito kaninang umaga. pic.twitter.com/wUGcz6RQza

— Philippine Coast Guard (@coastguardph) March 26, 2022

Abu also ordered PCG Sub-Stations in Talisay and San Nicolas to conduct forced evacuation among fishermen and fish cage workers on Taal Lake.

#BantayBulkan: Nag-deploy na ng mga tauhan at kagamitan ang @coastguardph sa Batangas matapos itaas sa Alert Level 3 ang Bulkang Taal. | via @luisitosantos03 pic.twitter.com/fNh3mjg2Oj

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) March 26, 2022

Two PCG trucks have also been put on standby in Batangas to assist affected residents in evacuating.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Saturday said it raised the alert status of Taal Volcano from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest) after the volcano's main crater had a short-lived phreatomagmatic burst at 7:22 a.m.

Under Alert Level 3, "there is magmatic intrusion at the Main Crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions," it said.

PHIVOLCS strongly recommended the evacuation of residents in Taal Volcano Island and Barangays Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo, and Boso-bobo, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in Laurel "due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions subsequently occur."

It also said "all activities on Taal Lake should not be allowed at this time." —KG, GMA News