Mayon sustains heightened activity; 2,041 evacuees recorded

MAYON Volcano continues to show signs of heightened volcanic activity following its moderately explosive eruption last week, with state volcanologists maintaining Alert Level 3 as they monitor indications of a possible escalation.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol said Monday that minor Strombolian activity was observed at dawn, lasting 41 seconds and producing a plume that rose 300 meters above the crater.

Bacolcol said the agency was also monitoring the volcano’s Real-Time Seismic Amplitude Measurement (RSAM), which measures the average strength of recorded seismic signals over a specified period.

These indicators help volcanologists assess whether volcanic activity could intensify and warrant raising the alert status to Level 4, he said in an interview with PTV.

However, Bacolcol said the latest observations did not warrant an increase in Mayon’s alert status, which remained at Level 3 as of Monday.

Mayon was placed under Alert Level 3 following a moderately explosive eruption at around 11:53 a.m. on Oct. 30, which sent an ash column approximately three kilometers above the crater.

The eruption prompted the evacuation of 2,041 residents, or 746 families, from parts of Albay, according to the provincial government.

The 5 p.m. monitoring report of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) on Oct. 30 showed that 531 families were evacuated from Tabaco City, 205 from Camalig and 10 from Barangay Baligang in Ligao City.

Local governments in Malilipot, Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo, Daraga and Guinobatan also monitored the situation and the safety of residents in their respective areas.

Mayon continued to exhibit signs of heightened activity on Oct. 31, when an ash emission was recorded at 5:17 a.m. The plume rose approximately 200 meters above the summit crater before drifting west-southwest, based on observations from the Mayon Volcano Ligao Station and the Mayon Volcano Observatory at Ligñon Hill.

In response to the continuing threat, APSEMO placed its provincial disaster operations center under Red Alert to ensure round-the-clock monitoring and coordination with affected local governments and response teams.

The Albay Provincial Health Office also distributed 22,000 surgical masks to health facilities in several areas to help protect residents from the potential health effects of ashfall.

Authorities reiterated their warning against entering Mayon’s six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone and urged residents to follow official advisories as monitoring operations continue.

Phivolcs continues to assess the volcano’s seismic activity and other parameters to determine whether further escalation is possible.