The Philippines sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire. This is the reason why the country often experiences ground shaking due to the presence of fault lines scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines is currently being rattled by the movement of Eurasian and the Philippine plates. There are multiple fault lines scattered across the nation, making it susceptible to earthquakes each day. The subduction zones in the archipelago are also causing pressure for the ground to cause a burst of magma in the surface of the Earth, known as Volcanoes.
The country is home to at least 25 active volcanoes and hundreds more potentially active ones that are living in a dormant stage. In this blog, I will be discussing my own Top 10 Most Active Volcanoes in the Philippines including some potentially active volcanoes.
1. Taal Volcano: The most popular volcano as of the moment due to its eruptive activity as of the moment. Taal Volcano is currently under Alert Level 4 status according to the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology due to the ongoing eruption. The volcano has now 35 eruptions in known history by the volcanologists.
2. Mayon Volcano: This is the Philippines' most active volcano. With an elevation of 2,462 meters above sea level, it is the highest mountain in the Bicol region. Mayon accumulated at least 50 eruptions with the recent in 2018.
3. Kanlaon: Located on the island of Negros in the Philippines. The volcano has at least 26 known eruptive history, making it the third most active volcano in the country. With an elevation of 2,435, it is the highest point on the island, making it suitable for vegetable farmers to plant temperate crops.
4. Bulusan Volcano: Another volcano in the Bicol Peninsula is silently spewing ash from time to time. Bulusan Volcano is the fourth most active volcano in the Philippines with 17 known eruptions recorded by the Phivolcs.
5. Hibok Hibok: This volcano created the island of Camiguin, which is also an island province in Mindanao. I went here last November of 2019 and I am thankful no eruption happened during my visit. With 5 eruptions in history with the latest in 1952, this island is really geologically active.
6. Smith Volcano: All the way to the northernmost island group in the Philippines, Smith Volcano is noticeably new. It has an estimated height of 600 meters above sea level with at least six known eruption history.
7. Mount Pinatubo: Unknown to many until it erupted in 1991, Pinatubo unleashed its hidden power to make the second-largest eruption in the 20th century after Novarupta in Alaska. Mount Pinatubo is a sacred mountain until it showed its real color that devastated Central Luzon.
8. Mount Parker: T'Boli tribe considers this volcano as a sacred mountain. Unknown to the present-day tribesmen, this sacred mountain blew up in 1641, creating a massive eruption similar to that of Mount Pinatubo.
9. Mount Musuan: This is a small active volcano in Bukidnon, having to erupt at least two times in the 18th century. What is unique about this volcano is the presence of an installed cellular site to provide telecommunication services for the inhabitants surrounding the mountain.
10: Cagua: In Cagayan Valley, there is an interesting volcano that is now making a new tourist attraction. The volcano made one known eruption in 1907, reminding the residents of its active condition.
Potentially Active Volcanoes
- Mount Apo (Davao Provinces)
- Mount Arayat (Pampanga)
- Mount Banahaw (Quezon)
- Mount Santo Tomas (Benguet)
- Mount Makiling (Laguna)
- Mount Matutum (South Cotabato)
