The number of people affected by the ongoing activity of Taal volcano surpassed 18,000, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Saturday.

NDRRMC media liaison officer Easha Mariano said according to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 4-A the number of evacuees from 113 barangays reached 5,109 families or 18,117 persons.

Among the affected population 1,604 families or 5,713 families were being served inside 25 evacuation centers while 3,505 families or 12,404 persons went to their relatives within the province.

"The assessment for barangay count is still ongoing," said Mariano.

As of Saturday, the Taal Volcano network recorded a total of 99 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

This includes 90 volcanic tremors that lasted for one to 11 minutes, nine low frequency volcanic earthquakes and low-level background tremor that were recorded since July 7.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said a sulfur dioxide emission with an average of 6,574 tonnes per day was recorded on July 16.

"High levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas emissions and steam-rich plumes that rose 1,200 meters before drifting north and northeast were generated from the Taal Main Crater," it said. Robina Asido/DMS