To start logging your PHP errors to an error_log file instead of the .logs folder, add the following lines to your .htaccess file:
# log PHP errors to a file php_flag log_errors on php_value error_reporting 32767 php_value error_log "error_log.txt"
IMPORTANT: Make sure to make a backup of your previous .htaccess file before making any changes to as incorrect settings can make your website inaccessible.