TAAL SPEWS LAVA FOUNTAINSA volcano near Manila spewed lava fountains Monday after belching a massivecloud of ash that drifted across the Philippine capital on Sunday, forcingthe cancellation of flights and closure of schools and government offices asauthorities warned of a possible "explosive eruption".Thousands of people were evacuated from the area near Taal volcano after itsuddenly shot a column of ash and steam as high as 15 km (nine miles) intothe sky. Lightning crackled inside the smoke and tremors shook the ground.Ma Antonia Bornas, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology andSeismology volcano monitoring division, said volcanic activity weakenedslightly at 2:49 a.m."We noticed a lava fountain at the main crater. The lava fountain finishedat 430 a.m. It is now emitting steam plume," she told radio DZMM.As of 3:20 a.m., ashfall from the volcano has fallen in Tanauan, Batangas;Escala, Tagaytay; Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Dasmarinas, Bacoor, Silang, Cavite;Malolos, San Jose Del Monte, Meycauayan, Bulacan; Antipolo, Rizal;Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Marikina, Paranaque, Pasig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong,San Juan, Manila, Makati City and Taguig City."Large rock fragments (lapilli) with diameters 2 to 64mm has fallen inTanauan, Talisay, Batangas; Tagaytay City; Nuvali and Sta. Rosa, Laguna," anadvisory from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councilsaid.The local disaster office said it had evacuated more than 2,000 residentsliving on the volcanic island, which lies inside a bigger lake formed byprevious volcanic activity.Taal's last eruption was in 1977, Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said.'HAZARDOUS TAAL ERUPTION' POSSIBLE AS DOZENS OF VOLCANIC QUAKES STRIKE:PHIVOLCSMANILA — Taal Volcano remained on the brink of a possible "hazardouseruption" as it spawned at least 75 earthquakes, the state seismology officesaid Monday.Of the 75 quakes triggered by Taal as of 4:30 a.m., 32 were felt, mostly inTagaytay, Cavite and Lemery and Talisay towns in Batangas, with thestrongest triggering an Intensity 6 shaking, said Phivolcs volcanomonitoring division chief Ma. Antonia Bornas.An Intensity 6 or "very strong" shaking can move heavy furniture, crackplaster walls and ring church bells, according to Phivolcs.The quakes were likely caused by magma moving upward towards the crater ofTaal, a popular tourist attraction set in the center of a picturesque lake,said Bornas."Mayroon pa po tayong maaaring kinakaharap na mas hazardous po naeruption... Sa historical eruptions po ng Taal, pangkaraniwan po iyongclimactic phase, itong pinakadulo po ng eruption, ito po iyongpinakamalala," she told radio DZMM.The volcano, she said, could spew "pyroclastic currents", a "dangerous" mixof steam, gas and ash.Taal on Sunday belched a 50,000-feet-tall ash cloud, which blanketed partsof Manila and nearby areas, and forced the suspension of all flights in thecountry's main airport, as well as school and work in government offices.The local disaster office said it had evacuated more than 2,000 residentsliving on the volcanic island, which lies inside a bigger lake formed byprevious volcanic activity.Some particles up to 2.5 inches in diameter, larger than a golf ball, hadalso reportedly fallen in areas around the lake, Phivolcs said.Malacañang at past midnight announced the suspension of Monday work atgovernment offices in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Region 3.Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea directed government agencies andschools to cancel work and classes except frontline response agenciesinvolved in the delivery of basic and health services.Companies were also advised to ensure that their employees are not put inharm's way after the Department of Health warned of the health risks ofashfall from the non-magma explosion of the volcano on Sunday.MUDDY ROADS HAMPER BATANGAS TOWN EVACUATION FROM TAAL WRATHAuthorities in Lemery, Batangas scrambled Monday to move residents to saferground as Taal Volcano in neighboring Cavite province remained on the brinkof a possible hazardous eruption.Taal, a popular tourist attraction set in the center of a picturesque lake,spewed on Sunday ash that blanketed parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.In Lemery, overnight rains mixed with the volcanic ash, coating roads in athick layer of mud that made them slippery, said town councilor LorenzPesigan."Sobrang dulas po ng aming kalsada sa kapal po ng putik na bumabalot po...Nahihirapan din po iyong mga rescuer, bumibigay na po iyong mga wiper ngsasakyan," he told radio DZMM.Authorities, he said, would evacuate residents to nearby Sto. Tomas andTanauan towns.As of 4:30 a.m., Taal spawned at least 75 earthquakes, a sign that magma islikely moving towards its crater, said Phivolcs volcano monitoring divisionchief Ma. Antonia Bornas."Mayroon pa po tayong maaaring kinakaharap na mas hazardous po naeruption... Sa historical eruptions po ng Taal, pangkaraniwan po iyongclimactic phase, itong pinakadulo po ng eruption, ito po iyongpinakamalala," she told radio DZMM.ASH BLANKET SHUTS AIRPORT AND MARKETS, THOUSANDS FLEE AS TAAL RUMBLESTAGAYTAY CITY -- Gray ash from Taal Volcano blanketed large parts ofSouthern Luzon and Metro Manila on Monday, shutting the country's mainairport and financial markets for the day, prompting a health advisory, andforcing thousands to flee as authorities kept vigil for a possible hazardouseruption.Relief workers trudged through ash-covered roads with their headlights on atdawn in Agoncillo, Batangas. In the capital, people lined up for face masks,some at 8 times the retail price as they cleaned ash-covered cars and roofs.Taal spewed lava on Monday, a day after it blew ash and steam into the air.Alert Level 4, the second-highest in a 5-step scale, was raised, meaning a"hazardous" eruption was possible in days."Napakabilis ng pagbabago ng kanyang kundisyon (The condition is changingvery rapidly)," said Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum.NDRRMC ON RED ALERT OVER TAAL UNRESTMANILA — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's mainoperations center has activated its alert status to red, they said in their6 a.m. bulletin Monday, which means that all disaster officials in theregion are required to report to their headquarters 24/7.Life as usual was disrupted by the phreatic explosion at Taal Volcano's maincrater on Sunday afternoon that saw the Philiippine Institute of Seismologyand Volcanology go through Alert Levels 2 through 4 as the magmatic unrestcontinued to worsen.Phivolcs said Monday that Alert Level 4 will be up over Taal Volcano due tomagmatic eruption and lava fountaining past 2 a.m. on Monday, adding AlertLevel 5 may be raised within the next few days.Alert Level 5 (Hazardous Eruption Ongoing) would come with an eruptioncolumn of up to 15 kilometers high and could bring a base surge, whichPhivolcs describes as thick smoke and ash that could travel across thesurface of Taal Lake.Phivolcs said a volcanic tsunami is possible in case of an eruption.NAIA PARTIALLY RE-OPENS AFTER TAAL ASHFALL CLEANUPMANILA -- The Philippine capital's main airport reopened for "partialoperations" on Monday after being shut overnight due to ashfall from TaalVolcano, authorities said.The Ninoy Aquino International Airport reopened for departures from 10 a.m.and for arrivals by 12 p.m., the Manila International Airport Authority andthe Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said.The MIAA General Manager, Ed Monreal, said earlier Monday that the area wasexpected to be cleared of ash within the day.The opening times will be subject to airline consent and terminal capacity.DUTERTE BACK IN MANILA AFTER WEEKEND IN DAVAO CITYMANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go, hislongtime aide and frequent companion, arrived in Manila on Monday afternoon.According to the Palace, the aircraft ferrying Duterte and Go from DavaoCity "was the first aircraft to land" at Ninoy Aquino International Airport,where flight operations had been suspended because of ash fall from TaalVolcano.The president has yet to make a statement on the continuing volcanicactivity in Taal although government agencies have been carrying outevacuation and relief operations since Sunday."The Marines event this afternoon will push through. The appropriateagencies are doing what they need to do in times of calamity per directionof the president," the Palace also said in a message to reporters.Government agencies held a press conference in Tagaytay City in Caviteearlier on Monday.WATER SUPPLY REMAINS SAFE TO DRINK AMID TAAL ASHFALL — MANILA WATERMANILA — Water supply in the east zone of Metro Manila and Rizal is safe toconsume even as ash continuously pours from the Taal Volcano, Manila Watersaid Monday.The ashfall from the restive Taal in Batangas has already reached MetroManila and areas north of the capital region since it began its period ofintense unrest Sunday, prompting the suspension of classes and work andcancelation of flights.“Manila Water assures its customers in the east zone of Metro Manila andRizal province that water remains safe to drink even as ashfall due to theMt. Taal eruption has been experienced around the metro and in Rizal areas,”Manila Water said.The Ayala-led water firm advised its customers to properly cover watercontainers to avoid contamination.LRT-2 TO OPERATE 'AIRCON-LESS' AMID TAAL VOLCANO ASHFALLMANILA — The management of the Manila Light Rail Transit System Line 2(LRT-2) on Monday announced that it would shut off its air-conditioningsystem amid the ashfall due to phreatic eruption of Taal Volcano.The LRT-2 said the move is to prevent damage to the trains.It added that windows of the trains would be closed to keep passengers safeand to prevent them from exposure to sulfur or ash.LRT-2 authorities advised passengers to wear masks to protect themselvesfrom the ashfall.According to Volcanic Ashfall Impacts Working Group, a partner of USGeological Survey, Volcano Hazards Program, “rail transportation networkscan be disrupted from volcanic ashfall due to poor visibility, mechanicalimpacts and health hazards for train crews and passengers.”MANILA VICE MAYOR WARNS BUSINESSES AS FACE MASK PRICES SPIKE TO P200 AMIDTAAL ERUPTIONMANILA — Prices of face masks in Manila jumped by as high as P200 apieceamid high demand as ash pours over parts of Luzon due to threats of an"explosive eruption" of Taal volcano south of the capital, Vice Mayor HoneyLacuna-Pangan said Monday.Taal volcano, a popular tourist attraction set in the center of apicturesque lake, spewed ash, rumbled with earthquakes and exploded withlightning above its crest.Thousands of people living nearby were evacuated from their homes, but otherlocals weighed whether or not to flee the area.In a statement, Lacuna-Pangan said her office received complaints that somemerchants in Manila are selling face masks, including the N95 kind, at highprices.She then warned businesses against taking advantage of the high demand byraising the prices of face masks and ordered the Manila Bureau of Permitsand Manila Licenses Office to conduct inspections.“Mula P25 hanggang P30, pumalo na raw nang P200 ang isang piraso ng N95 Mask(From P25 to P30 each, it has been reported that the prices of N95 maskshave skyrocketed to P200 apiece),” Lacuna-Pangan said.“Huwag naman po natin gamitin ang panahon na ito para manamantala. Tandaanpo natin, delikado po sa kalusugan nila ito (Let’s not take advantage ofthis situation. Remember, there are threats to human health)," she added.A "hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days." thenation's seismological agency warned.500,000 MINDANAO KIDS GET ANTI-POLIO SHOTSMANILA — Almost half a million children in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi havebeen immunized against polio, according to the World Health Organization.WHO said these remote island-provinces in Mindanao were prioritized in thegovernment’s anti-polio immunization campaign for children under 10 yearsold.Children on these islands as well as in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao (BARMM) are among the most vulnerable to infection, RabindraAbeyasinghe, WHO country representative, said.“With support from WHO and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), theDepartment of Health (DOH) hopes to immunized 488,000 children in Basilan,Sulu, Tawi-Tawi,” Abeyasinghe said.Children on these islands are at risk of getting the infection due to lowvaccination coverage, inaccessibility and security issues.PNP WANTS 30 KPH SPEED LIMIT TO REDUCE ACCIDENTSMANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday asked localgovernment units (LGUs) to impose a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour toavoid road accidents.PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa urged local officialsnationwide to pass ordinances that would restrict motorists to a maximumspeed limit of 30 kph.The proposal only covers city and municipal roads and not majorthoroughfares, Gamboa said.“Just within city and municipal limits kaya LGU ordinances lang angexecution,” he said in a text message.Gamboa made the proposal following a spate of fatal road crashes recently.A collision between a speeding van and a tricycle in Mulanay, Quezon leftfive persons dead on Dec. 31.Last Thursday, two persons died when a commuter jeepney figured in anaccident in Antipolo City.The police Highway Patrol Group has documented at least 9,663 road accidentslast year. Of the number, 2,608 or about 26.98 percent occurred in city,municipal and barangay roads.At least 1,186 people were killed in road mishaps last year.TAAL ACTIVITY TO BRING LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS OVER BATANGAS, CAVITE, LAGUNAMANILA — Cloudy skies with isolated rains and thunderstorms will prevailover the provinces of Batangas, Cavite and Laguna as Taal Volcano continuesto spew ash.The weather condition is caused by Taal Volcano’s activity, state weatherbureau PAGASA said in its early morning forecast.Light to moderate rains over Batangas, Cavite and Laguna are expected withinthe day.PAGASA also warned of possible reduced visibility and mudflow duringashflow.Ash and mud have blanketed large parts and neigboring provinces. Ash hasalso reached Metro Manila and areas north of the capital.Meanwhile, scattered rains and thunderstorms will affect CARAGA and EasternVisayas due to the trough or extension of the low pressure area, and CagayanValley, Cordillera Administrative Region and Aurora due to the tail end of acold front.The northeast monsoon or amihan will bring isolated light rains over theIlocos region.Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudyskies with isolated rainshowers due to localized thunderstorms.'A SOLDIER'S HEART' SCREENING POSTPONED DUE TO TAAL ERUPTIONMANILA -- Ashfall brought by the eruption of Taal Volcano prompted RCDNarratives of ABS-CBN to postpone the red carpet screening of upcomingseries "A Soldier's Heart," which was originally scheduled on Monday,January 13.RCD Narratives made the announcement on social media on Monday morning."Due to the continuing effects of Taal volcano's active state, A Soldier'sHeart red carpet screening which was scheduled for today, January 13 atGateway Cineplex 5 will be postponed. Stay tuned to our social mediaaccounts for updates. Keep safe, Kapamilya," the statement read."A Soldier's Heart," which stars Gerald Anderson, Nash Aguas, Yves Flores,Jerome Ponce, Elmo Magalona and Carlo Aquino, will premiere on ABS-CBNJanuary 20.LOOK: CATRIONA GRAY MEETS LIZA SOBERANOMANILA -- It's going to be a bit difficult to find a more beautiful picturethan this snap of former Miss Universe titleholder Catriona Gray with "MakeIt With You" star Liza Soberano.The two gorgeous ladies met on "It's Showtime" this Saturday where Soberanoappeared as a guest to promote her upcoming series with co-star Enrique Gil.Gray was a guest host.It'd be interesting to know what the they talked about, given that it wasonly a day before Soberano was asked for her thoughts on Gray saying thatshe could represent the country in Miss Universe.According to Soberano: "It's flattering coming from Miss Universe herself.Ate Pia [Wurtzbach] was also very supportive."She admitted that she isn't thinking of joining the international beautycontest anytime soon, but added that "we're humans, we change our mindsevery now and then.""I don't want to say that I'm completely closing the doors, but I honestlydon't see it in my career path, because I'm very passionate about acting.Being a beauty queen takes a lot of time."NBA SCORES JAN 11FINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Timberwolves 15-23    20    21    35    33    109team logo Rockets 26-12    22    35    45    37    139SCORING LEADERSJ. Okogie MIN16 PTS, 5 REB, 5 ASTJ. Harden HOU32 PTS, 12 REB, 8 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Bulls 14-26    35    26    20    27    108team logo Pistons 14-26    20    29    22    28    99SCORING LEADERS    Z. LaVine CHI25 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST    D. Rose DET20 PTS, 2 REB, 7 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Pelicans 14-26    24    33    25    23    105team logo Celtics 26-11    41    31    42    26    140SCORING LEADERSF. Jackson NO22 PTS, 0 REB, 2 ASTJ. Tatum BOS41 PTS, 6 REB, 4 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Lakers 32-7    41    32    29    23    125team logo Thunder 22-17    19    30    33    28    110SCORING LEADERSK. Kuzma LAL36 PTS, 7 REB, 0 ASTS. Gilgeous-Alexander OKC24 PTS, 8 REB, 0 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo 76ers 25-15    22    28    16    25    91team logo Mavericks 24-15    20    21    32    36    109SCORING LEADERST. Harris PHI20 PTS, 10 REB, 1 ASTL. Doncic DAL19 PTS, 8 REB, 12 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Cavaliers 12-27    23    28    34    26    111team logo Nuggets 26-12    18    24    29    32    103SCORING LEADERS    C. Sexton CLE25 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST    J. Murray DEN24 PTS, 5 REB, 3 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Bucks 35-6    32    32    33    25    122team logo Trail Blazers 16-24    24    31    25    21    101SCORING LEADERSG. Antetokounmpo MIL32 PTS, 17 REB, 6 ASTD. Lillard POR26 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST