Map showing former location of the towns that were relocated due to Taal's 1754 eruptionIf you think that Lake Sampaloc in the Laguna Province foretell a story of once rich commuity turned into greed and was punish by God by sinking it and later turned into a lake. Well in Taal lake this tale is no mystery.
Taal Lake was the original location of the five town's, two of them are now cities. The towns of Tanauan, Sala, Lipa, Bauan, and Taal was once in its lake shore. This communities were already existing even before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is said that these communities where founded by the Bornean Datus and then later conquered by Spaniards, turned them into well organized Pueblos. The lake became the center of of the province known back then as Provincia de Bombon, meaning scattered. As the colonizers takes over so as the religion did, it the place where Lipa once exist, it was know for being the center of the Anito worship which later seize after the introduction of Christianity. The town of Taal, originally located in sitio Balagon later transferred to the mouth of the Pansipit River in the Lake, became the capital of the province. With this the name of the province was followed turning it to Provicia de Taal.
18th century Map of Batangas
Prosperity was evident due to its trade and agricultural production. One even states that the town of Taal had a rope factory and large amounts of boats was present in its waters.
It was until that lake that gave them wealth will soon devour them. Starting from the 1600's the town of Bauan, originally located at the northern foot of Mt. Maculot, already experience several moves due Taal Volcano's eruption and the rising water that slowly sank its barrios. The people decided to move south. Lipa, originally located in Tagbakin next to Old Bauan, also suffer the same faith, it later move to present day Balete. Tanauan, formerly next to present day Talisay later move next to Sala only to move further after the great eruption of 1754. Taal stayed on the mouth fo the Pansipit River until 1754.
Church ruins of Lumang Taal But the greatest catastrophe that totally destroyed the towns was the Great Eruption of 1754, thou already erupting in in the past years of 1700's this became its most eruptive. The activity started in May of that year following several explosion later in the end of November. The eruption was classified by modern vulcanologist as Plinian. The accounts of this eruption was written Fr. Buencochillo who at that time was stationed at Taal, the accounts follows:
On May 15, 1754, at about 9 or 10 o'clock in the night, the volcano quite unexpectedly commenced to roar and emit, sky-high, formidable flames intermixed with glowing rocks which, falling back upon the island and rolling down the slopes of the mountain, created the impression of a large river of fire. During the following days there appeared in the lake a large quantity of pumice stone which had been ejected by the volcano. Part of these ejecta had also reached the hamlet of Bayuyungan and completely destroyed it
The volcano continued thus until June 2, during the night of which the eruption reached such proportions that the falling ejecta made the entire island appear to be on fire, and it was even feared that the catastrophe might involve the shoresof the lake. From the said 2d of June until September 25, the volcano never ceased to eject fire and mud of such bad character that the best ink does not cause so black a stain.
During the night of September 25, the fire emitted was quite extraordinary and accompanied by terrifying rumbings. The strangest thing was, that within the black column of smake issuing from the volcano ever sinceJune 2, there frequently formed thunderstorms, and it happened that the huge tempest cloud would scarely ever disappear during two months.
At daybreak of September 26 we found ourselves forced to abandon our dwelling for fear lest the roofs come down upon us under the weigth of ashes and stones which had fallen upon them during that hapless night. In fact, some weaker buildings collapsed. The depth of the layer of ashes and stones exceeded two "cuartas" (45 centimeters), and the result was that there was neither tree nor other plant which it did not ruin or crush, giving to the whole region an aspect as if a devastating conflagration had swept over it. After this the volcano calmed down considerably, though not sufficiently to offer any prospect of tranquility.
During the night of November 1, Taal resumed its former fury, ejecting fire, rocks, sand, and mud in greater quantities than ever before. On November 15, it vomited enormous boulders which rolling down the slopes of the island, fell into the lake and caused huge waves [note(added by Saderra Maso): The waves mentioned were most probably due to the earthquake rather than to the falling rocks]. The paroxysms were accompanied by swaying motions of the ground which caused all the houses of the town to totter. We had already abandoned our habitation and were living in a tower which appeared to offer greater security; but on this occasion we resolved that the entire population retire to the Sanctuary of Casaysay, only the "Administrator" and myself to remain on the spot.
At 7 in the evening of November 28 occurred a new paroxism, during which the volcano vomited forth such masses of fire and ejecta that in my opinion, all the material ejected during so many months, if taken together, would not equal the quantity which issued at the time. The columns of fire and smoke ascended higher than ever before, increasing every moment in volume, and setting fire to the whole island, there being not the smallest portion of the latter which was not covered by the smoke and the glowing rocks and ashes. All this was accompanied by terrific lightning and thunder above, and violent shocks of earthquakes underneath. The cloud of ejecta, carried on by the wind, exented itself toward west and south with the result that we saw already some stones fall close to our shore. I, therefore, shouted to all those who were still in the town to take to flight and we all ran off in a hurry; otherwise we would have been engulfed on the spot; as the waves of the angry lake began already to flood the houses nearest to the beach.
We left the town, fleeing this living picture of Sodom, with incessant fear lest the raging waters of the lake overtake us, which were at the moment invading the main part of the town, sweeping away everything they encountered. On the outskirts of the town, I came upon a woman who was so exhausted by her burden of two little children and a bundle of clothing that she could proceed no farther. Moved by pity, I took one of the taddlers from her and carried him, and the little indio who has been wailing while in the arms of his mother, stopped short when I took him into mine and never uttered a sound while I was carrying him a good piece of the way.
Having reached a secure place on elevated ground at a distance of about half a league (2 kilometers) from the town, we halted in a hut to rest a little and take some food. From this spot the volcano could be contemplated with a little more serenity of mind. It still continued in full fury, ejecting immense masses of material. Now I also observed that the earth was in continuous, swaying motion, a fact which I had failed to notice during the excitement and fear of the flight.
Shortly afterwards the volcano suddenly subsided almost suddenly; its top was clear and apparently calm. We, therefore, returned on the following day, the 29th, to the town with the intention of surveying the havoc wrought during the preceeding night.
The 29th had dawned calm, but while we were still trying to persuade ourselves that the tragedy was overand the volcano had exhausted its bowls, at about 8 o'clock, we heard a crash and then I noticed that smoke was rising from the point of the island that looks towards east. The smoke spread very gradually as far as the crater of the volcano, while there were many whiffs issuing from points in the direction of another headland. I realized that the island had opend in these places and fearing that, if a crater should open below the water, an explosion might follow, much more formidable than the preceeding ones, I mounted a horse and retired permanently to the Sanctuary of Caysasay.
Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the said 29th, it began to rain mud and ashes at Caysasay [12 miles from the volcano] and this rain lasted three days. The most terrifying circumstance was that the whole sky was shrouded in such darkness that we could not have seen the hand placed before the face, had it not been for the sinister glare of incessant lightnings. Nor could we use aritifical light as this was extinguished by the wind and copius ashes which penetrated everywhere. All was horror those three days, which appeared rather like murky nights and we did not occupy ourselves with anything but see to it that the natives swept off the roofs the large quantities of ashes and stones which kept on accumulating upon them and threatened to bring them down upon us, burying us alive beneath their weight. But fearing that even these precautions might prove unavailing, we 3 Europeans - viz. Fr. Prior, the Alcalde, and myself - the only ones who were at the time in the Convento of Caysasay, took refuge on the landing of the stairs; as the safest place, and awaited there whatever God might dispose with regard to us. To all this was added incessant thunder and lightning, and it really looked as if the world was going to pieces and its axis had been displaced.
During the night of the 30th we had not a moment of repose, as every moment we heard the loud crush of houses collapsing under of stones, mud, and ashes piled upon them, and feared that the turn of the convento and the church of Casasay would come in next. Shortly before daybreak of december 1 there was a tremendous crash as if the house were coming down on our heads: the roof of the apsis of the chruch had caved in! Not long afterward, the roof of ther kitchen gave away with a thud. Both were tile roofs.
The first of December broke somewhat clear and our eyes contemplated everywhere ruins and destruction. The layer of ashes and mud was more than 5 spans [1.10 m] thick, and it was almost a miracle that the roof of the church and convento sustained so great a weight. We caused the bulk of the material to be removed, while new continued to fall on that day and the following, on whichlatter the direction of the wind changed, carrying the ejecta toward Balayan. On the 3rd and 4th we had a formidable typhoon, and thereafter the volcano quieted down.
Soon afterward I resolved to visit my town of Taal; nothing was left of it except the walls of the church and convento. All the rest, the government house, the walks of the rope factory, the warehouse, everything was burried beneath a layer of stones, mud, and ashes more than 10 spans [2.20 m] thick; only here and there could be seen an upright post, the only remnant of a comfortable dwelling. I went downb to the river and found it completely filled up, with a boat belonging to the alcalde and many of private persons burried in the mud. After incredible efforts I finally succeeded in unearthing in what had once been the church and sacristy, the chests which contained the sacred vestments and vessels. Nearly all of them were demoloished by the rocks and beams which had fallenupon them, and filled with foul-smelling mud that had ruined or disfigued their contents. With the aid of some natives of Bauang I likewise recovered some property from among the ruins of the convento.
Twelve persons are known to have perished - some carried away by the waves of the lake, others crushed beneath their collapsing houses. Thus the beautiful town of Taal remains a deserted wilderness and reduced to the utmost misery, while once it was one of the richest and most flourishing places. In the villages to the west of the lake, which were the greater and better part, all the houses have either collapsed under the load of material which had been piled upon them or have diappeared completely, swept away by the waves which in these places were so violent that they dug three ditches or channels, too wide and deep to be forded, and thus rendered impassable the road which joins the town with Balayan. In other parts of the lake shore have likewise opened manycracks and occurred very extensive slides. The worst of all is, that, the mounth of the river Pansipit having been blocked, the lake is rising and invading the towns of Lipa and Tanauan, both being on the lowest level, and inundating their buildings. All the animals of whatever kind have perished, some by being burried, others by drowning, the rest by starving, as not a green blade remained anywhere.
The same fate as Taal has befallen the towns of Lipa, Tanauan, and so much of Sala as still existed. These towns, together with Taal, lay around the lake, being situated within easy reach of it, and less than one league [4 kilometers] from the volcano. The bulk of the population left this neighbourhood and settled in more distant places. Thus out of 1200 taxpayers whom Taal contained formerly, hardly 150 remain in the poorest and least respectable villages, which suffered little from the rain of ashes.
All towns that were destroyed were move to its present site. The people of Taal move to Barrio Caysasay, present day Taal Town, later they settled in the plateau overlooking Balayan bay . The people of Lipa moved upward to present day Mataas na Kahoy and later near to Sabang Creek. Tanauan on the other hand moved next to Sala and later conjoined as one. Bauan of course move further from the volcano until it finally settled near Batangas Bay.
Some of the Ruins of these towns can be still seen as reminder of their original location.
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