AGONCILLO, Batangas, Philippines — The steam-driven (phreatic) eruption of Taal Volcano last month had altered not only the iconic Volcano Island, but also the land features of its surrounding towns in Batangas province. In the fishing village of Subic Ilaya here, residents said water from Taal Lake began to rise days after the eruption. The earthquakes shook down smaller fish ports at Barangay Banyaga where caretakers of fish cages, a common livelihood in this part of the Taal Lake, scrambled to salvage wood and iron sheets buried in the ash pile. But in other lakeshore villages of Bilibinwang and Banyaga, still in this town, water receded by a few meters, said Agoncillo Mayor Daniel Reyes. Interim homes Taal Lake covered about 234 square kilometers and was shared by 12 towns and cities in Batangas.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 17, 2020 20:15 UTC