Philippine scientists worried about spa project on volcano island

Jun 24, 2007, 8:47 GMT

Manila - Philippine government scientists on Sunday expressed concern over the construction of a resort spa by a South Korean firm on a volcano island just outside the capital, which has been showing signs of unrest.

Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said increased activity has been monitored at Taal Volcano since September 2006.

On Sunday, two earthquakes rocked the volcano just before dawn, Solidum said.

'The two quakes were felt by residents at intensities three and two,' he said. 'Aside from the earthquakes, the volcano is also continously inflating, meaning pressure is building up.'

Taal Volcano is one of the 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines. It is located on an island lying in the middle of a scenic lake in Batangas province, 50 kilometres south of Manila.

Thousands of people live on the island and hundreds of tourists visit everyday even though it has been declared a danger zone.

A South Korean firm has also began preparations for the construction of a resort spa along the volcano's crater lake.

While there were no signs of an imminent eruption, Solidum said people 'should always be prepared in case the volcano shows more activity.'

He added that Phivolcs has told the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which has reportedly given a go-signal to the project, that it was not advisable to have permanent structures on the island.

'The whole island is a permanent danger zone and the crater and the rim are the most dangerous parts,' he said. 'This would put people at risk because they will be staying there permanently.'

DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes said he has ordered a review of the permit given to the South Korean company that plans to build the resort spa on the island.

'We have to review the advisability of having a resort spa in the mouth of the volcano because if there's any danger there, we have to advise them to take the necessary steps,' he said. 'We will examine it and see if the project is feasible.'

Phivolcs has already raised the first of a five-level alert system on Taal. The volcano last erupted in October 1977 and its deadliest eruption was in 1911, when it killed 1,334 people and its ashes reached Manila.