The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported minor phreatic eruption which lasted for four minutes at Taal Volcano at 5:58 am Tuesday.

The phreatic eruption at the main crater of the volcano produced a 600-meter-tall steam plume of smoke that drifted west -southwest.

Phivolcs said the "phreatomagmatic event was likely driven by sudden contact with water with a small batch of shallow magma that has been in place beneath the Taal Main Crater and that has been degassing sustained levels of SO2 (sulfur dioxide) for the past three years."

"The background levels of volcanic unrest (are) unlikely to progress into a major magmatic eruption at this time", it added

Traces of ash were reported in Poblacion, Agoncillo and Buso-buso, Laurel in Batangas.

Taal Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 1, "is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity." Marie Manalili/DMS