TAAL VOLCANO

Scientists say that in pre-historic times Taal Lake and the volcano island did not exist. Instead there was a giant volcano. The time came when it erupted so violently that the volcano disappeared and in its place a lake and an island was formed. According to Wikipedia, its last eruption was in 1977 and there have been 33 recorded eruptions since 1572.

It has been designated a Decade Volcano. Decade Volcanoes are the 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas (Wikipedia).

Taal Volcano and Lake are wholly within the Batangas Province. And to make sure everyone knows that, Governor Vilma Santos wanted to put on the island a giant sign “BATANGAS” similar to the “HOLLYWOOD” sign. That earned a lot of criticism and had to be shelved.

Taal Volcano and Lake are unique. Taal Lake is found in Luzon which is an island. In the lake is the volcanic island. In that island is a small lake and in that lake is another “island”. According to the website of Crater Lake Resort, within the island are four craters. The main crater is in the center of the island while the dormant volcano crater can be seen at the edge of the island. The third and fourth craters are called “Twin Craters” which were formed during the eruption of 1965.  According to the Lakwatsera de Primera blog, Taal Volcano is the smallest active volcano in the world. It used to be one of the largest volcanoes in the world towering at 18,000 feet.

The Taal Lake is also known for the tawilis. Sardinella tawilis (sometimes obscurely referred to as the Freshwater Sardinella) is a freshwater sardine found exclusively in the Philippines (specifically, Taal Lake). It is unique in that it is the only member of the family Clupeidae that is known to exist entirely in freshwater. (Wikipedia). According to a news report in the Manila Bulletin, its population has dropped in recent years due to overexploitation and the fish kills in the lake.

Many years ago when we were young priests (it was in the 1980s), we attended a one-week course in Tagaytay. During a one-day break, three of us decided to explore Taal Volcano. We hiked from the Tagaytay ridge down to the bottom. I don’t remember anymore the name of the place, but it was there where we managed to get a boat to bring us to the island. When we reached the island, we immediately hiked towards the rim of one of the craters. I was expecting to see molten lava churning violently at the bottom of the crater. What I saw instead was sand and steam escaping from a vent. Everything was quiet. The only thing I was aware of was the smell of sulfur.

Many years later (2006?) I tagged along with another confrere who was going to visit the island. We took a boat at a town farther away. The asking price was not tourist price. We paid P300 per person, I think. The hike was not difficult. It was mostly level ground. There were no steep inclines. All along I thought that we were going to a crater. It turned out that our destination was the lake within the island.

The last two times I visited the island was on the occasion of a community outing. We took the regular tourist trail. The trek was less than an hour. (The return trip would be a lot faster, however.) But on the way up, unless you hired a horse, you should be prepared to sweat it out...buckets and buckets of perspiration.

Once you reach the top, however, the view was so spectacular that you wouldn’t mind the complaints of your tired legs anymore. And with the proliferation of digital cameras, you’d spend the time taking pictures, including the obligatory jump shots.

Wikipedia says that viewed from Tagaytay Ridge, Taal Volcano and Lake presents one of the most picturesque and attractive views in the Philippines. I agree. And since the last eruption was around 35 years ago, we may be lulled into thinking that everything will always remain peaceful and quiet. But Taal is an active volcano. And because of its proximity to populated areas, it has the potential of causing a huge toll on life and property. This is why an erupting volcano seems to me a good image of anger.

When anger takes over, we lose the use of reason. And with the loss of reason, we turn violent. And like an erupting volcano, we engage in destructive behavior – especially hurtful words and/or actions directed towards people we may really care about. Although we may feel sorry after we have calmed down, the damage has been done. Feelings have been hurt. Bodies have been inflicted with pain.

It is not that anger is always bad, for there is such a thing as righteous anger (for example, Jesus cleansing the temple). It is when we allow anger to take hold of us that is the problem. For by then we lose control and become like a raging bull, unreasoning and unreasonable.

Let’s get hold of ourselves so that we don’t hurt the people we love. For if we fail, we end up having to say: “I’m sorry.” What is wrong with that? Nothing. But still it is worth keeping in mind that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”