The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has allayed fears of volcanic activity in Mt. Matutum as claimed by residents. Phivolcs chief Renato U. Solidum, Jr. said in a letter sent to Mayor Reynaldo S. Tamayo on Friday that the observations of smoke and fire coming out of the crater were non-volcanic in nature. "Ocular inspections at the crater area and seismic records showed that there were no volcanic activities, specifically an imminent eruption, in Mt. Matutum," Mr. Solidum said.
Rolly T. Visaya, Tupi information officer, told
BusinessWorld that weeks prior to the Phivolcs letter, residents of Barangays Acmonan and Kablon in Tupi, and Maligo in Polomolok observed certain developments such as: the descent of wild animals from the mountains, as well as burnt vegetation.
The locals also claimed to have felt the ground shaking and heard unusual rumblings from the volcano, he added. To confirm the observations, both Tupi and Polomolok towns sent their rescue teams to Mt. Matutum to get firsthand information through photographs and videos. From the information acquired, Mr. Tamayo, who also chairs the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of Tupi, then requested for Phivolcs's investigation.
Comment: More evidence of increased volcanic activity around the world. Remember, most volcanoes are underwater.
Increased evaporation due to geological changes - and not antropogenic global warming, as they tell us - may already be affecting the global weather.