Volcano Taal Erupting. Manila Airport Closed

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My friend is a news reporter in Puerto Galera. He sent me that article. The Philippines National Police oversee relief efforts in the Taal volcano 14 kilometer exclusion zone. Residents who are in danger of pyroplastic explosion have no where to go.

But the PNP will not allow them to stay in the evacuation zone. However the government removed some corrupt members of the PNP and replaced them.
 
Taal has been lowered from level 4 alert to level 3 for the first time since the initial eruption. Many evacuees are returning to their homes. This latest pic is worth a thousand words.....


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That lake is almost completely gone. The theory is that fissures opened up and drained the water. Where the water is meeting magma flow is creating a lot of activity at depth. They also state a lot of the water may have been blown away by the eruption itself.

The Crater Lake is now entirely gone. Careful with the wording though, Taal Lake is very much full and won't be dry anytime soon, as it's 100m deep on average.

Even though the Alert Level has been reduced to 3, a dangerous eruption is still possible. Anyone returning to areas within the 14km radius are warned to be ready to evacuate within 1 Hour if needed.
 
Does anyone know how Puerto Galera diving (and the travel to PG from Manila) is looking for divers?
Have a trip booked for mid-late Feb and have been on the fence about changing it. I want to support the local economy, but want to know if the diving conditions have been affected. I understand the risks associated with the volcano at a level 3.
TY!
 
Does anyone know how Puerto Galera diving (and the travel to PG from Manila) is looking for divers?
Have a trip booked for mid-late Feb and have been on the fence about changing it. I want to support the local economy, but want to know if the diving conditions have been affected.

I was in Puerto Galera when Taal blew and there pretty much zero direct impact. Viz and air quality were unaffected beyond a slight sulfurous smell on the first day and one hell of a light show. I'm pretty sure that Batangas Pier wasn't closed at any point and when we went through a week later there were no signs of ashfall. Of course things can change at any time, so try to pad in extra time just in case - especially when ferry crossings are involved...
 

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