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Active Volcanoes in the Philippines
Kara Santos
With Taal Volcano’s ongoing eruption,
everybody’s on edge.
Thousands of residents who live near the lake
have been displaced and animals have been abandoned on the island.
 |
| View of Taal Lake from Tagaytay (pre-2020 eruption) |
It’s
scary to think of what could happen in the future. It makes you wonder how
prepared we are considering that the Philippines is an archipelago of more than
7,100 islands, most of which are volcanic in origin. In fact, there are at
least 300 volcanoes in the country.
Pacific
Ring of Fire
All of the volcanoes in the Philippines are
part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a major area in the Pacific
Ocean where many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
According to the United States Geological
Survey (USGS), about 90% of the world’s earthquakes and all but three of the
world’s 25 largest volcanic eruptions occurred along the Ring of Fire.
There are 452 volcanoes in the Ring of Fire
including The Andes in South America, Popocatepetl in
the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mt. Saint Helens in the US
Pacific North West, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, Mt.
Fuji in Japan, Krakatoa in the Indonesia Island
Arc and Mt. Ruapehu in New Zealand.
Most
Active Volcanoes in the Philippines
According to the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), at least twenty-four (24) of
these volcanoes are active or potentially active, while the rest are dormant.
Based on documented eruptions over the years,
the six most active volcanoes are:
1.
Mayon – since 1616, Mayon has
erupted 47 times
2.
Taal – since the sixteenth century, Taal
has erupted more than 30 times
3.
Kanlaon – erupted 30 times since 1819
4.
Bulusan – erupted 15 times since
1885
5.
Hibok-Hibok – erupted five times in
modern history
6.
Pinatubo – erupted in 1991 after being
dormant for 600 years. From June 12 to June 16, 1991, the
volcano erupted four times
Active
and Potentially Active Volcanoes in the Philippines
For
reference purposes, here’s a look at the 24 active and potentially active
volcanoes in the Philippines including their elevation, location, surrounding
cities / municipalities, and their last known eruptions.
I
also included volcano safety tips provided by official advisories on what to do
in case a volcano erupts in your area.
Babuyan
Claro
Elevation:
843 m
Region:
Cagayan Valley
Province:
Cagayan
City/municipality:
Last
eruption: 1860
Also
known as Mount Pangasun, Babuyan Claro is a potentially active volcano located
on Babuyan Island, the northernmost of the Babuyan group of islands in Luzon
Strait, north of the main island of Luzon in the Philippines
Banahaw
Elevation:
2,170 m
Region:
Calabarzon
Province:
Laguna, Quezon
City/municipality:
Candelaria, Dolores, Liliw, Lucban, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Rizal, San Pablo,
Sariaya, Tayabas
Last
eruption: 1909
Banahaw
is a three-peaked volcano complex and the tallest mountain in the CALABARZON
region.
Considered
by many as a holy mountain, Banahaw is a popular hiking destination among
pilgrims and mountaineers.
Biliran
Elevation:
1,340 m
Region:
Eastern Visayas
Province:
Biliran
Last
eruption: September 26, 1939
Biliran
is a solfataric active volcano located in the small island-province of the same
name just North of Leyte.
The
volcano caused the formation of this island.
Bud
Dajo
Elevation:
620 m
Region:
Bangsamoro
Province:
Sulu
Last
eruption: Unknown
Bud
Dajo or Mount Dajo is the second-highest point in the province of Sulu.
It
is one of the cinder cones that make up the island of Jolo and part of the Jolo
Volcanic Group of islands.
Bulusan
Elevation:
1,565 m
Region:
Bicol Region
Province:
Sorsogon
City/municipality:
Barcelona, Bulusan, Casiguran, Gubat, Irosin, Juban
Last
eruption: December 2016
Mount
Bulusan or Bulusan Volcano is Southernmost volcano in Luzon located in the
province of Sorsogon. Four craters and hot springs are located around the mountain.
Bulusan has erupted 15 times since 1885 and is considered as the 4th most
active volcano in the country after Mayon, Taal, and Kanlaon.
Cabalian
Elevation:
945 m
Region:
Eastern Visayas
Province:
Southern Leyte
Last
eruption: 1820 ± 30 years
Cabalian
Volcano is located in the province of Southern Leyte. A wide lake known as
Cabalian Lake or Lake Danao occupies the summit crater of the volcano.
Cagua
Elevation:
1,133 m
Region:
Cagayan Valley
Province:
Cagayan
City/municipality:
Gonzaga
Last
eruption: October 1907
Cagua
is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines located in Cagayan in the
northernmost part of the Sierra Madre mountain range.
The
volcano is topped by a 1.5-kilometer (1 mi) wide crater marked by sharp and
precipitous walls.
Camiguin
de Babuyanes
Elevation:
712 m
Region:
Cagayan Valley
Province:
Cagayan
City/municipality:
Calayan
Last
eruption: 1857
Camiguin
de Babuyanes is an active stratovolcano on Camiguin Island, part of the Babuyan
Islands group.
The
volcano and the island is within the jurisdiction of the town of Calayan.
Didicas
Elevation:
228 m
Region:
Cagayan Valley
Province:
Cagayan
Last
eruption: January 1978
Didicas
Volcano is an active volcanic island in the province of Cagayan in the northern
Philippines.
The
island, which was a submarine volcano re-emerged from the sea in 1952, 22 km NE
of Camiguin Island in the Babuyan Group of Islands.
Hibok-Hibok
Elevation:
1,332 m
Region:
Northern Mindanao
Province:
Camiguin
Last
eruption: 1948 – 1953
Mount
Hibok-Hibok is a stratovolcano in Camiguin in Northern Mindanao.
This
volcano contains six hot springs (Ardent Spring, Tangob, Bugong, Tagdo, Naasag
and Kiyab), three craters (Kanangkaan Crater, site of the 1948 eruption; Itum
Crater, site of 1949 eruption, and Ilihan Crater, site of 1950 eruption).
Iraya
Elevation:
1,009 m
Region:
Cagayan Valley
Province:
Batanes
City/municipality:
Last
eruption: 1454
Mount
Iraya is located on Batan Island, one of the Batanes Islands, in the province
of Batanes. It is the northernmost active volcano in the Philippines and is
considered a sacred mountain for the Ivatan people.
Iriga
Elevation:
1,196 m
Region:
Bicol Region
Province:
Camarines Sur
City/municipality:
Buhi, Iriga
Last
eruption: 1642
Mount
Iriga, also known as Mount Asog, is a stratovolcano about a kilometer from Lake
Buhi.
It
has a large crater probably formed from a huge eruption.
Isarog
Elevation:
2,000 m
Region:
Bicol Region
Province:
Camarines Sur
City/municipality:
Calabanga, Goa, Naga City, Ocampo, Pili, Tigaon
Last
eruption: 3500 BCE
Mount
Isarog is a potentially active stratovolcano in the province of Camarines Sur.
The
mountain has been the ancestral domain of the indigenous Isarog Agta people for
thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Spanish.
Kanlaon
Elevation:
2,465 m
Region:
Western Visayas / Central Visayas
Province:
Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental
Last
eruption: June 18, 2016
Kanla-on
or Canlaon, is an active stratovolcano on the island of Negros, located 30 km
southeast of Bacolod.
Kanlaon
is the highest point in Negros, as well as the whole Visayas.
The
volcano is a favorite spot for mountain climbers and is the centerpiece of
Mount Kanlaon Natural Park.
Leonard
Kniaseff
Elevation:
1,190 m
Region:
Davao Region
Province:
Compostela Valley
City/municipality:
Mabini, Maco
Last
eruption: 120 AD ± 100 years
Leonard
Kniazeff is a stratovolcano located between the towns of Mabini and Maco in the
province of Compostela Valley in Mindanao.
It
has a 203-kilometer diameter caldera lake called Lake Leonard. It’s been the
object of a geothermal exploration program.
Makaturing
 |
| Butig Nature’s View in Lanao del Sur |
Region:
BARMM
Province:
Lanao del Sur
City/municipality:
Butig
Last
eruption: 18 March 1882
Mount
Makaturing is a stratovolcano in the town of Butig in the province of Lanao del
Sur in Mindanao.
Makaturing
has an elevation of 1,940 metres (6,365 ft) and a base diameter of 29 km (18
mi).
Matutum
Elevation:
2,286 m
Region:
SOCCSKARGEN
Province:
South Cotabato
City/municipality:
Tupi
Last
eruption: 1911
Matutum
is a stratovolcano in South Cotabato. It contains 2 hot springs and a
well-preserved 320-meter wide crater at the volcano’s summit.
The
crater is breached by three gorges and has a 120-metre (390 ft) deep, densely
forested floor.
Mayon
Elevation:
2,463 m
Region:
Bicol Region
Province:
Albay
City/municipality:
Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, egazpi, Ligao, Malilipot, Santo Domingo, Tabaco
Last
eruption: 2018
Mayon
Volcano or Mount Mayon is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay,
world-renowned for its “perfect cone” because of its symmetrical shape.
Mayon
is the highest point of the province of Albay and region, and serves as a major
landmark for the whole Bicol Region.
It
is ranked as the most active volcano in the Philippines, erupting 47 times
since 1616.
Musuan
Elevation:
646 m
Region:
Northern Mindanao
Province:
Bukidnon
City/municipality:
Maramag
Last
eruption: 1886 or 1887
Musuan
Peak or Mount Musuan, also known as Mount Calayo (meaning “Fire Mountain”) is
an active volcano in Bukidnon, in the island of Mindanao.
It’s
located 4.5 km south of the city of Valencia and 81 km southeast of Cagayan de
Oro City.
Parker
(Mélébingóy)
Elevation:
1,824 m
Region:
SOCCSKARGEN
Province:
South Cotabato
City/municipality:
Tboli
Last
eruption: 1640 to 1641
Mount
Parker, locally known as Mount Mélébingóy, is located in the province of South
Cotabato, 30 km west of General Santos City and 44 km south of Koronadal City.
The
volcano’s English name is taken from an American, General Frank Parker, who
claimed to have “discovered” it during a flight he piloted in 1934.
The
mountain has a 2.9-km wide caldera with steep walls that rise 200-500m above
the lake known as Lake Hólón.
The
mountain and lake are considered one of the sacred places of the Tboli tribe.
Pinatubo
Elevation:
1,486 m
Region:
Central Luzon
Province:
Boundaries of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales
Last
eruption: 1991
Mount
Pinatubo is located on the tripoint boundary of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga
in Central Luzon.
Once
covered with dense forests that supported a population of several thousand
indigenous Aetas, Pinatubo’s eruption on June 15, 1991 changed the landscape
forever.
Pinatubo
is known as one of the most destructive volcanoes in the world.
The
1991 eruption was the second-largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century
after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska.
The
crater lake was formed from the caldera filling with water from annual monsoon
rains.
Ragang
Elevation:
2,815 m
Region:
BARMM, SOCCSKARGEN
Province:
Lanao del Sur
Last
eruption: July 1916
Mount
Ragang, also called Mount Piapayungan and Blue Mountain by the local people, is
the highest point in Lanao del Sur and the seventh highest mountain in the Philippines.
It
is the most active volcano on Mindanao and part of a string of volcanoes in
what volcanologists call the Central Mindanao Arc.
Smith
(Mount Babuyan)
 |
| Aerial view of Smith Volcano (foreground) on the western part of Babuyan Island with Babuyan Claro in the background |
Region:
Cagayan Valley
Province:
Cagayan
City/municipality:
Calayan
Last
eruption: 1924
Smith
Volcano, also known as Mount Babuyan, is located on Babuyan Island, the
northernmost of the Babuyan group of islands.
Smith
Volcano has erupted six times, the last of which was in 1924.
Taal
Elevation:
311 m
Region:
Calabarzon
Province:
Batangas
City/municipality:
Talisay and San Nicolas
Last
eruption: January 12, 2020 (ongoing)
Taal
Volcano is the second most active volcano in the Philippines, with 34 recorded
historical eruptions, all of which were concentrated on Volcano Island, near
the middle of Taal Lake.
The
caldera was formed by prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 BP. As of
January 2020, seismic activity is currently ongoing.
Volcano
safety tips
What
to do during a volcanic eruption
Follow
the evacuation order issued by authorities and evacuate immediately from the
volcano area to avoid flying debris, hot gases, lateral blast and lava flow.
Be
aware of mudflows. The danger from mudflow increases near stream channels and
with prolonged heavy rains.
Mudflows
can move faster than you can walk or run. Look upstream before crossing a
bridge and do not cross the bridge if a mudflow is approaching.
Avoid
river valleys and low-lying areas. Remember to help your neighbors who may
require special assistance – infants, elderly people and people with
disabilities and pets.
Protection
from falling ash
Listen
to a battery-powered radio or television for the latest emergency information.
If
you have a respiratory ailment, avoid contact with any amount of ash.
Wear
long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Use
goggles and wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses.
Use
a dust mask or hold a damp cloth over your face to help with breathing.
Stay
away from areas downwind from the volcano to avoid volcanic ash.
Stay
indoors until the ash has settled unless there is a danger of the roof
collapsing.
Close
doors, windows and all ventilation in the house (air conditioners, fans and
other vents).
Clear
heavy ash from flat or low-pitched roofs and rain gutters.
Avoid
running car or truck engines. Driving can stir up volcanic ash that can clog
engines, damage moving parts and stall vehicles.
Avoid
driving in heavy ash fall unless absolutely required. If you have to drive,
keep speed down to 20 km/h or slower.
Kara Santos is a freelance writer and photographer. When not on
the road or motorcycling somewhere off for the weekend, she’s leveling up her
experience points in the latest PlayStation RPG. Travel Up with her real-life
and virtual adventures here.
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