Bulusan ejects ash anew

Reawakening after three months of slumber, Mount Bulusan in central Philippines spewed ash for the second straight day, state volcanologists said Wednesday. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the ash blew southwest towards Irosin and Bulusan towns in Sorsogon province. Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr was quoted by dzBB radio as saying that, "The ash that fell on the ground was as high as 4.5 mm in San Roque village in the Bulusan town proper." Despite the volcano's recent heightened activity, Solidum said there is no decision yet to raise the alert status warning in Bulusan from the current alert level 1. He said the ashfall measured 1.5 mm in Sto. Domingo village in Irosin town. Ash was 2-mm thick in nearby Patag village, and measured 3.5 mm in Mapaso village. Residents in Mombon village also reported similar incidents in their area. Meanwhile in Bulusan town, ashfall measured 4.5 mm in San Roque village, 2.5 mm in San Rafael village and 3 mm in San Francisco. Last Tuesday afternoon, Bulusan came to life anew after months of calm and ejected ash towards villages in its southwest side. Casiguran Mayor Edwin Hamor said they heard the explosion at about 5:16 p.m., and another one at 5:35 p.m. "It was louder than before. We just hope the ash falls into the sea," he said in an interview on dzBB radio Tuesday evening. However, Hamor said the town is not ready for an evacuation as Sorsogon was among the most heavily damaged by typhoon Milenyo, which lashed Bicol and Southern Luzon last September. Schoolbuildings which could have served as evacuation centers are in "no shape" to house residents, the mayor said. Volcanologists sounded the alarm on Bulusan last March 21 when the volcano exhibited high level of activity. However, it eventually calmed down until Phivolcs lowered the alert level from 2 to 1 last July 29. Phivolcs also reminded Wednesday residents to stay clear of the volcano's four-kilometer permanent danger zone. Solidum said Bulusan's ash plume reached as high as 3 km. "There is no major concern for an eruption at this time but those living near the four-kilometer danger zone must be careful," he said. He reminded residents that even before the ash explosion, the volcano had been on Alert Level 1, meaning a four-kilometer permanent danger zone must have been maintained.-GMANews.TV