Rumors Of Alleged Eruption Of Mt. Banahaw Linking To Batangas Quake, Clarified By Phivolcs
The rumors linking the magnitude 5.5 earthquake in Batangas to the eruption of Mt. Banahaw as a consequence, cleared by Phivolcs.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned the public against the rumors and wrong information linking the earthquake in Batangas to a predicted volcanic eruption of Mt. Banahaw.
The false information has circulated along the Calabarzon region including the provinces of Quezon, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite. The rumors were urging them the following areas for the expected eruption of the volcano.
https://www.facebook.com/PHIVOLCS/posts/1169942383114658
“PHIVOLCS-DOST has not made any predictions of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions as a consequence of the Magnitude 5.5 earthquake in Batangas 04 April 2017,” wrote by Phivolcs on their Facebook post on Wednesday (April 05, 2017).
The rumors in the social media contain wrong information regarding the magnitude of the earthquake and the time it struck the province. The information was attributed to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The wrong details and information making rounds online were saying “Please be ready. All areas in CALABARZON including Quezon, Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite and all in the circulatory areas of Mt. Makiling and Mt. Banahaw. As of 9:01:31 04-04-17, PHIVOLCS recorded a magnitude 2.1. PHIVOLCS Superiors alarmed that Mt. Banahaw can erupt anytime. NDRRMC# 298-5638.”
The state volcanology agency urged the public to be careful in forwarding information from unverified sources and advised the public to wait for their announcement on the Phivolcs official website. The agency also clarified that Mt. Banahaw were not included on the list of their volcano bulletin, which they were currently monitoring.
Mt. Banahaw is located at the boundary of Quezon and Laguna, which last erupted in 1843. Phivolcs recorded 3 historical eruptions of the volcano. Meanwhile, the agency has recorded already 49 aftershocks in Batangas as of Wednesday (April 05, 2017).