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NewsTranscript
00:00For the update on the volcanic smog or vog from the Taal Volcano, we will talk to Phubox Director Teresito Bacolcol.
00:08Director good morning.
00:09Yes sir. Good morning to you as well.
00:12Is there still a sighting of vog from the Taal Volcano?
00:16Well, after the rain yesterday, the observed vog is only in the Taal Caldera.
00:23So right now, we are still waiting for other reports if there is another vog around Batangas area.
00:34But as of yesterday afternoon, after the rain, the vog is only observed in the Taal Caldera.
00:40So the rain really helped a lot.
00:42You're right. The vog was washed out yesterday.
00:46Yes. Many are posting on social media about the situation here in Metro Manila.
00:51We just want to confirm from Phubox Director, did the vog reach Metro Manila from the Taal Volcano?
00:57The vog did not reach Metro Manila from the Taal.
01:01What happened is for the past three days, not just in Batangas but also in Metro Manila,
01:08the air pressure is low, only one liter per second.
01:11On August 15, we measured 3,355 tons per day of sulfur dioxide in Batangas.
01:17Because the air pressure is low, it cannot rise, that's why there's a vog.
01:22Here in Metro Manila, the haze that we observed yesterday is most likely due to local pollutants rather than vog.
01:30Just like what happened in Batangas, the pollutants cannot rise because the air pressure is low,
01:37causing these pollutants to remain at the lower levels and created the haze that we saw yesterday.
01:43So it means that here in Metro Manila, it's a pollution.
01:47Yes. It's not a vog.
01:49How long did you expect the Taal Volcano to erupt?
01:54Well, it's still a long time because if we compare this with, for example, the Miyake-ji volcano in Japan when it erupted in 2000,
02:06it took several years before the sulfur dioxide emission dissipated.
02:12So it took five years.
02:15Then a study in 2017 reported that sulfur dioxide emission in that volcano became weak or insignificant.
02:24So we'll probably wait for the same number of years before the sulfur dioxide emission of Taal Volcano becomes totally insignificant.
02:35Director if this is a signal, the public and residents might be worried that the eruption of Taal Volcano is a signal?
02:43This is not a signal that it will erupt again on the same level, on the same magnitude as the 2020 eruption.
02:50Yes.
02:51It can be a phreatic eruption from time to time.
02:53Right now, we have not seen a volcanic earthquake in Taal Volcano for the past 12 days.
03:00Yes.
03:01Since August 8, we have not seen a volcanic earthquake.
03:04That's one of our records.
03:06Sulfur dioxide is just one of the parameters that we are looking at.
03:11So we look at the data collectively and analyze the data.
03:16Again, the number of volcanic earthquakes is very significant because when the number of earthquakes increases,
03:22it means that there's a magma rising and breaking the rocks.
03:26For now, we have not seen an earthquake for the past 12 days.
03:30In your observation, should Taal Volcano be raised to alert level 2, Director?
03:34Again, not yet.
03:36As I've said, we have not seen a volcanic earthquake.
03:41Our ground deformation, instead of inflating, because when magma rises, the volcano inflates.
03:48What we are seeing now is long-term deflation.
03:51Yes.
03:52Director, the Batangas are observing that the smell is smelly.
03:58Is that true?
04:00Yes, you're right.
04:01Because sulfur dioxide is sulfur.
04:04It has a foul smell.
04:06That's the VAG and associated with VAG is the haze and foul smell.
04:16Can you get an update on the magnitude 5.7 earthquake yesterday that was felt in Eastern Visayas and Bicol?
04:24Well, as of 12 a.m. earlier, we recorded 17 aftershocks.
04:32The magnitude of the aftershocks ranged from 1.2 to 3.8.
04:40All of these aftershocks were not felt.
04:44Is it possible to continue the aftershocks, Director?
04:48Yes. The aftershocks would take several days before dissipating.
04:54Thank you very much PBOX Director Teresito Bacolcol. Take care.
04:58Thank you very much as well.
05:14For more information, go to PBS.TV.