‘OBJECT SEEN BUT NO IMPACT RECORDED’: Suspected meteor blow up over Mayon slopes
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By ERNIE DELGADO
LEGAZPI CITY --- A suspected meteor was captured on camera exploding above the glowing slopes of Mayon Volcano on Monday night, shocking onlookers who witnessed the unexpected celestial display from their vehicles and porches
Stunned onlookers from communities surrounding the volcano reported seeing a bright streak of light near the volcano at 10:33 p.m. on May 25, 2026.
CCTV and dash-cam footage from several cars showed the meteor hurtling through the sky before combusting in a sudden burst of green light.
Witnesses took to social media to share that the meteor was visible from various areas, including Southern Luzon.
Bezaleel Banogon, who observed the meteor from Los Baños in Laguna province, commented on Facebook that he initially mistook it for a missile.
“Akala ko nga missile sa sobrang liwanag (I thought it was a missile because of how bright it was). It burned bright green and white for less than a second before it disappeared into the clouds,” Banogon said.
Another witness, Maria Louisa Araneta, a student at Bicol University, said she and her companion immediately made a wish upon seeing the shooting star.
A user named Star Prior shared footage of the phenomenon and exclaimed, “What on earth is going on?”
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also released footage of the suspected meteor hurtling close to the slopes of the erupting Mayon Volcano, stating, “LOOK!!! PHIVOLCS’ Ligñon Hill IP Camera records a meteor striking the northern slopes of Mayon Volcano at 10:33 PM this evening, May 25, 2026.”
However, in a follow-up post, the agency clarified that the meteor did not actually hit the volcano’s slopes.
An amateur astronomer from Masbate City calculated the meteor’s energy to be equivalent to 6.8 million kilograms of gunpowder, which would have caused massive rockfalls if it had struck the slopes of Mayon Volcano
Regardless, Mount Mayon logged 27 volcanic earthquakes and other volcanic activities in the last 24 hours, according to Phivolcs on Tuesday.
Its 24-hour monitoring bulletin indicated that the country’s most active volcano recorded 20 volcanic tremors lasting between nine and 145 minutes, along with 341 rockfalls and two pyroclastic density current signals.
Additionally, lava effusion was observed along its gullies: Basud (3.8 kilometers), Bonga (3.2 kms), and Mi-isi (1.8 kms), with minor strombolian activity reported.
The volcano also emitted 988 tons of sulfur dioxide on Saturday and generated a plume that rose 200 meters from the crater, drifting west-southwest and southwest.
Phivolcs noted a “short-term deflation” along with shorter-term inflation on the north-eastern flank of the volcano.
The volcano remains under Alert Level 3, indicating intensified unrest.
Entry into the six-kilometer radius, which is the permanent danger zone, is prohibited, as is flying any aircraft close to the volcano.
Meanwhile, the status of the suspected meteorite has not yet been officially confirmed by the Philippine Space Agency, the agency responsible for studying meteors, fireballs, and meteorites in the Philippines. (PIA Bicol)
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