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Taal volcano crater. The cinder cone on the crater was created by the phreatomagmatic eruption of Taal Volcano in 1965. The crater was eventually filled by the lava flows from the eruptions of 1968 and 1969. Photo by J.G. Moore –

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano is known to be the second most active volcano in the Philippines located in the province of Batangas, following Mount Mayon located in Albay.

One of the facts about the Taal Volcano is that it has recorded around 38 eruptions which caused deaths on the island where some people live around the lake and island.

Facts to keep in mind about the Taal Volcano are that it is located on a small island and is around 65 miles away from Manila. It is situated in the province of Batangas.

Taal Volcano is one of the smallest volcanoes in the world. It is the second most active volcano in the Philippines.

It has recorded at least 38 eruptions within 450 years. The Taal caldera is filled with lakes because of the past eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 BP.

1. Taal volcano is one of the most captured volcanoes and lakes in the Philippines

Taal volcano blanket. Photo by European Space Agency –

The volcano is one of the most captured volcanoes and lakes in the Philippines. It had recorded several eruptions in the past raising the death toll to all most 6,000. Last but not least, it is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

2. Taal volcano is part of the Ring of Fire

Taal volcano blanket. Photo by European Space Agency –

Taal volcano is also part of the Ring of Fire. Ring of Fire or the Pacific ring of fire, the Rim of fire, the Girdle of fire, or the Circum-Pacific belt is where most of the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur around the Pacific Ocean.

3. The Taal Volcano is also where plate tectonics creates movement

Taal Volcano. Located in the province of Batangas, the volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the country, with 34 recorded historical eruptions, all of which were concentrated on Volcano Island, near the middle of Taal Lake. Photo by Lyndon Aguila –

 It is also where plate tectonics creates movement and starts to destroy the lithospheric plates which are the outermost shell of our planet that is located under and around the Pacific Ocean.

4. Taal volcano is also in the first highest alert level eruption

Taal Volcano aerial. Aerial photo of Taal Volcano, taken on a Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to Dumaguete City on December 22, 2012.. Photo by TheCoffee (Mike Gonzalez) –

Facts about the Taal volcano is also in the first highest alert level eruption happened last January 2020, it has been 43 years back since its last eruption, caused a lot of school and work suspensions as it started blowing up ashes over Metro Manila, Calabarzon.

 Some parts of Central Luzon and Ilocos Region as PHILVOCS or Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology declared an alert level 4 that may result in an explosive eruption within the next hours and days.

The smaller eruptions that happened last July 2021 and then on March 2022 alerted PHILVOCS to alert level 3 and its towns around it.

5. Nuno who lived on top of the mountain of Taal

Nighttime Landsat 8 image of the Taal Volcano. This image shows a false color (bands 7,6,5) nighttime Landsat 8 image of the Taal Volcano overlaid on a daytime Landsat panchromatic black and white image (band 8). The nighttime image from path 220/row194 was acquired on January 15, 2020, a few days after the volcano’s eruption. The heat signature from volcanic activity shows up as bright oragne/red. The daytime image from path116/row50 was acquired before the eruption on December 6, 2019. Photo unattributed –

During prehistoric times, there was a man called Nuno who lived on top of the mountain of Taal his house was sitting on the topmost part of the mountain but the locals and Nuno are friendly and no one fears him as he is so kind to the locals.

6. Nuno has been taking care of the plants in the mountain

Phreatic volcano explosion of Taal Volcano, 12 January 2020. Photo by Exec8 –

 Nuno has been taking care of the plants in the mountain and they grew well. Nuno talked and asked the locals if they can plant tobacco around the mountain but not up to the certain line he dictated that no tobacco should be planted.

As the locals generously followed his will, they planted all the tobacco to ground up to the designated line on top of the mountain following locals became wealthy by planting tobacco. One day, Nuno called for a meeting saying that he will leave the mountain and the locals for a very long time.

7.  Nuno said he would confiscate all the fields and the tobacco plant

Taal Volcano Island with its surrounding lake was taken during sunset from Sitio Tagbakin, Brgy. Halang, Lipa City. Photo by Michael Angelo Luna –

He also said that they can continue planting around the mountainside but not to extend in the designated line and that a certain violation would be implemented he said he would confiscate all the fields and the tobacco planted and he left to an unknown place.

8. Farmers were tempted to plant around the forbidden area when Nuno was not found

Aerial photo of en: Taal Volcano, taken on an en: Cebu Pacific flight from en: Manila to en: Dumaguete City. Photo by Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) –

As time goes by for a very long time, he never came back. The locals asked around his whereabouts but not a single person could tell where he is. When the time comes that tobacco prices became so high, the farmers were tempted to plant around the forbidden area.

9. A strong and violent earthquake happened to cause the locals so terrified

Taal Volcano Island with its surrounding lake was taken during sunset from Sitio Tagbakin, Brgy. Halang, Lipa City. Photo by Michael Angelo Luna –

As a year already passed, nothing bad had happened to farmers due to their disobedience of planting on the restricted grounds. Another year has gone by again and they were celebrating a fiesta in the house of Nuno, a strong and violent earthquake happened to cause the locals so terrified and frightened causing them to flee the mountain and leave.

10. Tobacco planted in the restricted area had disappeared

At the Lakeshore going to Taal Volcano. Taal Volcano Hiking. Photo by Emmigren –

They had come back in the next few days; they saw that all of the tobacco they planted in the restricted area had disappeared and was now gone. As the part of the mountain in the boundary line flew high up in the sky and then a massive hole formed and smoke started to come out.

 As Nuno had told the locals, he kept his word that if anyone disobeys he will get all the tobacco planted for his use. Small barrios have started growing again on the side of the mountains but no plants are growing on its side.

The following generation is still continuously waiting for the return of Nuno but should wait until he finishes smoking all of the tobacco he got from the natives and locals for their disobedience.

As we know that myths from our older generation and natives may be true or not. But this myth about the Taal Volcano could help us revisit how old our culture is and how maybe some fairies or dainties are guiding us and teaching us such lessons in life and all we have to do is follow and obey them.

 It is okay to believe in such folklores or myths but we must know that some of them maybe are not true and are just created for people to believe in certain things and to make people believe in the origin of things around us.

There is no harm in believing in such but we must not forget the reality and facts about the Taal Volcano.