TIMELESS BEAUTY, TIMELY PRECAUTION | Motorcycle riders take photos of Mayon Volcano at a campsite in Ligao City, Albay, on Friday afternoon, Oct. 7, 2022. That same day, the province prepared for possible evacuations as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the warning status on Mt. Mayon to Alert Level 2 to indicate moderate volcanic unrest. (Photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
State volcanologists have not detected any critical activity at Mt. Mayon as of this reporting late Saturday, although the warning status on the volcano has remained at Alert Level 2 since Friday.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday said that, “moderate emission of white steam-laden plumes” were observed but no volcanic earthquakes were detected.
The alert level 2 status on Friday afternoon followed the Phivolcs’ report of “continued … growth of [Mayon’s] lava dome.”
The agency, however, noted that “the presence of freshly extruded lava at the base of the … dome” was “aseismic,” or not marked by earthquake activity.
Nevertheless, Phivolcs said it “is raising the alert level of Mayon Volcano from alert level 1 (abnormal) to alert level 2 (increasing unrest). This means that there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to phreatic eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruption.”
Phivolcs’ highest alert level is No. 5, indicating “hazardous eruption in progress.”
Mayon had been under monitoring since late August when alert level 1 was raised.
Danger zone
On Saturday, the agency continued to warn the public against entering Mayon’s 6 kilometer-radius permanent danger zone, while the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines extended its no-fly order near Mayon until Sunday.
Despite the threat of possible eruption, residents of towns and cities at the foot of the volcano still choose to till their farms within the danger zone.
Nonito Alemania, barangay chief of Mi-isi in Daraga town, said the farmers have to earn a living and all village officials like him could do, for now, was to observe the volcano and keep a log book on farmers entering that area.
“Residents have products to harvest like vegetables, coconut and they have farm animals there. Their main livelihood is farming,” explained Alemania.
He said around 50 farmers living on the slopes of Mayon were already relocated to Barangay Salvacion, a good distance away from the danger zone, but they felt the need to return to their fields.
Mayon straddles eight localities in Albay province — the cities of Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco, and the towns of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Malilipot, and Santo Domingo.
In an advisory on Saturday, Albay Gov. Noel Rosal directed local officials to remain on alert and urged residents and farmers to stay away from the volcano area.
‘Help from outside’
Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to be ready with relief supplies and other emergency support amid Mayon’s continuing unrest.
“While the risk remains completely manageable, may we request your team’s usual alertness and prepositioning of resources for possible mobilization should there be need for evacuation and relief,” Salceda said in his letter to Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo.
“As in the past, evacuation from Mayon can be protracted, and may require extended support from the government. I am confident that the DSWD, under your leadership, is prepared for such eventuality, as it has been during the competently led relief operations for communities affected by recent natural calamities,” added the lawmaker, a former governor of Albay.
“In Albay, we are always prepared. But we also always need help from outside, given the size of the risks involved. So, the usual support will be deeply appreciated,” Salceda also said.
—WITH REPORTS FROM NESTOR CORRALES AND DEXTER CABALZA
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