Before, During, and After the Eruption: The Taal Volcano

The deadly lava, ashes, gasses, and rocks that are blasted during volcanic
eruptions are well known for being extremely dangerous and highly hazardous to
establish contact with. By causing mudslides, wildfires, floods, and water contamination
in the damaged area, it creates a risk to people's health. Phreatomagmatic eruptions
are one form of eruption. A recent example of a phreatomagmatic explosion is the
eruption of Taal Volcano in 2020. As a result of the magma and water interaction, an
explosion is released.

Taal Volcano's eruption took place on January 12, 2020. The volcano is located
in the province of Batangas, Philippines. The IFRC estimates that 10,131 families, or
53,697 residents, lived near the Taal Volcano. One of the Philippines' most active
volcanoes, the Taal Volcano has recorded about 30 eruptions. At around 2:00 pm on
January 12, 2020, in the afternoon, its main crater erupted which sent ash flying
throughout Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and certain areas of Central Luzon and the Ilocos
Region. According to IFRC (2021):

More than 736,000 people have been affected by the eruption in National
Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon (Region III), and CALABARZON
(Region IV-A), which caused more than 135,000 people to evacuate and
caused a lot of damage to livelihoods, infrastructure, and essential
services, including water and education.

According to an interview included in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho's 'Paano kung

abutan ka ng pagputok ng bulkan?' episode, posted in GMA Public Affair's Youtube
channel (2020), one family visited Taal Lake to go up into the mountain and swim in a
lake close to the Taal Volcano's crater. But before they got there, they noticed a small
white smoke near the crater. The family was nervous and eager to hike up the trail to go
to the entrance where it was safe after knowing that the volcano was about to erupt.
They heard a huge blast that sounded like a volcano eruption as they were moving
toward their location. The volcano erupted after they boarded and departed the boat;
there were multiple eruptions of black smoke and black rocks.

During the eruption, the blowing of smoke and ash got stronger and there was ashfall in
the towns affected by it. It was accompanied by thunder and a strong sound from the
explosions. People continued to evacuate despite ashes and smoke to get away from
the eruption. In the same episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, people who were
interviewed said that their heads and body were covered in ash and said that the ash
caused irritation in the skin because it came from a volcanic eruption and smelled like
sulfur. As the eruption raged, many locals had difficulties evacuating not only their
families but also their pets, including dogs, cats, and animals such as carabaos, horses,
and goats that they used for livelihood.

The morning after the Taal volcano outburst, not only were towns buried in ash,
but also most of the establishments in the area. People who were affected by the
eruption encountered substantial losses, including homes that were destroyed, 38
casualties, pets that were unable to be evacuated including farm animals such as pigs,
chickens, goats, and horses, as well as loss of income for those who worked in the
fishing, farming, business, and industry.

We will never be able to predict when a volcano will erupt and when it will harm
people. Because it’s a natural disaster, we don’t have the power to stop it, nor do the
scientists have the equipment that can. Even the technology of today, which is quite
advanced, cannot stop the volcano from exploding.

All we can do in this situation is get ready for disasters. If we are close to a
volcano, the first step in preparing for anything like a volcanic eruption is to memorize or
get familiar with the risk and warning signals for strange things occurring around the
volcano. The next step is to have a preparedness strategy in place in case the volcano
erupts once again. This plan should include directions for evacuation and emergency
supplies like flashlights, batteries, medicines, small packs of clothes, foods that are
simple to prepare, a map of the area, a first aid kit, water, a whistle, a battery-operated
radio, and a comforter. One should also learn about the safe places that can serve as or
have served as evacuation centers. Moreover, it is needed to be informed of secondary
risks such as lahars, mudflows, and landslides that can happen after or during an
eruption because there could also be light earthquakes and thunderstorms. To ensure
that everyone's lives are safe, we must be prepared for disasters like volcanic eruptions
and have the necessary knowledge to survive and assist individuals before, during, and
after the eruption.