Taal Volcano is the second most active volcano found in the province of Batangas. A complex volcano in the middle of Taal Lake and is often called an island within a lake, that is an island within a lake that is on an island as well as one of the lowest volcano in the world having 311 meters elevation. It offers a very a spectacular view seen from Tagaytay Ridge. Taal volcano is located around 50 kilometers away from Manila, capital of the Philippines.
The main Vulcan point situated in the main crater lake, which is on the volcano island that is in Taal lake, which is in the main island of the Philippines (Luzon).
Shown in the above image, almost everyone thought that it is the volcano itself. Looking at the aerial view below, what is being seen by the Tagaytay Ridge is actually the “Binintiang Malaki (Big Leg)” located at the upper part of the image, that was the center of 1707 and 1715 eruption.
Being part of the Pacific Ring if Fire, Taal Volcano has caused loss of lives estimated between 5,000 to 6,000. This is based on the 33 recorded eruption since 1572 to 2011. Taal Volcano was also designated as a decade volcano.
Records also say that volcano eruptions deposited pyroclastic material as far as where Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is.
The volcano island is made of multiple and overlapping cones and craters. Only 47 have been identified which are 26 tuff cones, 5 cinder cones and 4 maars.
People settled around the volcano even though several warnings have been issued by the Philippine government agency PHILVOCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology). Communities around the island earns their living by farming crops made rich by the volcanic soil and fishing mainly tilapia which is one of the sought after fresh water fish in the Philippine market.
To date, many tourist visit Tagaytay and Batangas to get a good view, ride boats around Taal volcano and climb the slopes of the volcano
