The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) appealed to the public to stop spreading fake news related to Taal Volcano’s alert level.
Information that the Phivolcs allegedly raised the alert level 5 on the volcano was spread yesterday on Facebook and Messenger. As a result, many evacuees got alarmed and worried.
The only information that should be shared is from reliable sources such as the NDRRMC, Office of the Civil Defense, and Phivolcs.
Netizens also stop sharing news, which is not from official sources.
According to the NDRRMC, fake news can cause confusion and panic, especially for affected residents.
As of this writing, Taal Volcano is still under Alert Level 4, meaning “hazardous eruption is possible within days.”
NDRRMC warns public against Taal eruption fake news
The NDRRMC advisory reads,
Taal Volcano Alert Level Signals
- Alert Level 0- Background, quiet; No eruption in foreseeable future.
- Alert Level 1- Low-level seismicity, fumarolic, other activity Magmatic, tectonic, or hydrothermal disturbance; no eruption imminent.
- Alert Level 2- Low to moderate level of seismicity, persistence of local but unfelt earthquakes. Ground deformation measurements above baseline levels. Increased water and/or ground probe hole temperatures, increased bubbling at Crater Lake.
- Probable magmatic intrusion; could eventually lead to an eruption.
- If trend shows further decline, volcano may soon go to level 1
- Alert Level 3- Relatively high unrest manifested by seismic swarms including increasing occurrence of low frequency earthquakes and/or harmonic tremor (some events felt). Sudden or increasing changes in temperature or bubbling activity or radon gas emission or crater lake pH. Bulging of the edifice and fissuring may accompany seismicity.
- If trend is one of increasing unrest, hazardous eruption is possible within days to weeks.
- If trend is one of decreasing unrest, volcano may soon go to level 2
- Alert level 4- Intense unrest, continuing seismic swarms, including harmonic tremor and/or “low frequency earthquakes” which are usually felt, profuse steaming along existing and perhaps new vents and fissures. The hazardous eruption is possible within days.
- Alert level 5- Base surges accompanied by eruption columns or lava fountaining or lava flows. Hazardous eruption in progress. Extreme hazards to communities west of the volcano and ashfalls on downwind sectors.