Mt. Mayon spews 500-meter ash

LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded two steam-driven or phreatic eruptions from Mayon Volcano in Albay province on Monday morning.

A 10:15 a.m. Phivolcs bulletin on Monday said grayish to grayish-white ash plumes from Mayon, which occurred at 7:59 a.m. to 8:05 a.m., reached 300 to 500 meters above the volcano’s summit before drifting to the southwest direction.

The agency recommended a strict ban on the entry into the six kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) and a precautionary seven kilometer-radius Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) in the south-southwest to east-northeast sector, stretching from the Barangay (village) Anoling in Camalig town to Barangay Sta. Misericordia, Sto. Domingo.

“Alert Level 2 currently prevails over Mayon Volcano. This means that Mayon is at a moderate level of unrest,” the Phivolcs bulletin said.