MANILA, Philippines – Here is a trivia on Taal Volcano, viral and circulating on social media, contained in a book written by a certain Thomas Hargrove called the Mysteries of Taal.

It says that “the huge 1754 eruption that lasted for 6 months from May to December 1754 changed the salinity of the water from salt to freshwater.

It sank 5 Batangas towns formerly located along the shores like Tanauan, Taal, Lipa, Bauan and a lost town that was never revived named Sala.

The Batangueños started moving backwards and established their Poblacions away from Taal Lake.

Tanauan is on its 3rd Site.

Taal on its 3rd Site.

Bauan on its 3rd Site.

Lipa on its 5th Site.

Sala was never revived and joined Tanauan.

The Pansipit River narrowed down where once upon a time Galleons can enter from Balayan Bay to Taal Lake.

It gave way and formed a new land blocking the mouth of the Pansipit River and that land later on became Lemery,Batangas in 1861.

New islands sprouted up from underneath like Napayong Island located in Tanauan

This gave way to new forms of species like the Maliputo and Tawilis.

Maliputo was actually a Trevally or Talakitok but since it turned freshwater, then it became the Maliputo

Tawilis was actually a sardine that turned into a freswater sardine trapped inside the lake when the salinty changed.

There are fossils of old coral reefs in Taal Lake proving that once upon a time it was saltwater. The last shark sighting in Taal was in 1935.

The Capital was moved from Taal to Batangan now called Batangas City and from 1755, they started calling it Batangas province coming from Taal province and prior to that as Balayan province, the first capital.

All of these are recorded. Read the book of Thomas Hargrove called the Mysteries of Taal.

Ganyan kalakas ang Taal.

Its stronger than Mayon.

The map of Batangas drastically changed so you have to respect and adjust with nature and learn from its violent history.”