Albay clamps down on activities around Mount Mayon

As many as 28,000 families are at risk from Mount Mayon in Albay, which the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has said is showing indications of "increasing unrest".

According to figures from the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, up to 28,081 families or 133,325 people in 66 barangays are at potential risk.

The figures showed 2,898 families or 15,049 people in 40 barangays are in the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano.

These include barangays Tabaco City, Malilipot, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao City, Legazpi City and Sto. Domingo town.

Another 7,657 families or 36,576 people in 25 barangays are in the extended high-risk zone which covers the area 6.5 to 8 km from the volcano.

Still another 17,526 families or 81,700 people in 26 barangays are in the southeast quadrant 8 to 10 km from the volcano.

Activities restricted

Disaster management officials in Albay have clamped down on mountain climbing and all-terrain vehicle activity near the volcano, where the alert level has been raised to 2.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, in an advisory, also barred visitors from Mayon Skyline hotel on the north side of the volcano.

Governor Jose Salceda, who signed the order as PDRRMC chairman, specifically ordered that:

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• -No mountain climbing. Mayon Volcano mountaineering (or volcanoeering) is subject to prior notification to the local tourism and disaster management offices.
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• -No ATVs beyond lava fronts.
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• -No orchid picking, no vegetable harvesting in the delineated 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) of Mayon Volcano.
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• -Extra care and caution in conducting human activity near the perimeter of the 6-km PDZ.
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• -Mayon Skyline hotel visitors in the North of Mayon Volcano shall not be allowed during night time.
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Salceda also ordered the disaster risk reduction management councils at the city, town and barangay levels of Ligao, Legazpi and Tabaco Cities and Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Sto. Domingo, and Malilipot towns to immediately submit to the PDRRMC the number of families and persons still in the 6-km radius PDZ around Mayon Volcano.

Alert Level 2

On Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level at Mayon Volcano in Albay province to "2," citing increasing unrest in the volcano.

It noted the formation of a new lava dome measuring 30 to 50 meters high as well as signs that could indicate the advent of quiet lava intrusion that could lead to "greater unrest."

"(Phivolcs) is raising the Alert Level of Mayon Volcano from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2. This means that magma is intruding at depth and that current conditions may eventually lead to a larger eruption," it said.

It "strongly advised" the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone to minimize risks from sudden explosions, rockfall and landslides.

Phivolcs also said it will maintain close monitoring of Mayon Volcano and any new development will be communicated to all concerned stakeholders.

Under Phivolcs' alert level system, "2" means increasing unrest.

It said the unrest is "probably of magmatic origin" and could eventually lead to eruption.

There is a possibility the 6-km radius Danger Zone may be extended to 7 km in the sector where the crater rim is low. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News