Batangas tourism thrives in the shadow of Taal Volcano

FOR CLUB BALAI ISABEL, a lakeside resort in Talisay, Batangas province, Taal Volcano, one of the Philippines' most iconic natural landmarks, is both an economic lifeline and an ever-present risk.

- Edg Adrian A. Eva Reporter

"Taal Volcano is both a gift and a curse," Chief Operating Officer Cecille Terrible told BusinessWorld in an interview. FOCUS "It's a blessing because it is a world-class beauty, a world-class treasure to be close to. But it has also been active since the 2020 eruption."

Taal Volcano sits majestically in the heart of Batangas, its calm green waters and postcard-perfect crater having long defined the skyline of Tagaytay City and powered the province's tourism and agriculture industries.

Yet beneath its beauty lies an unpredictable force that has repeatedly reshaped lives, economies and landscapes.

Taal's power is as real as its beauty. Its last major eruption in January 2020 blanketed nearby provinces in thick ash and caused P3.4 billion in damage to infrastructure and agriculture across Batangas, Laguna and Cavite, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The volcano remains under Alert Level 1, with a minor phreatic eruption recorded as recently as this week.

The volcano's eruptions have made Taal both a symbol of resilience and a source of recurring hardship for communities that live around it.

Batangas recorded about nine million tourists in 2022, nearing pre-pandemic levels after peaking at 13.5 million in 2018, according to data from the Cavite Provincial Tourism Office. Much of that tourism is anchored on Taal Volcano, which dominates the view from Tagaytay City.