PHIVOLCS mulls banning people beyond 6-km radius of Mayon Volcano’s PDZ

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said Monday it is considering to recommend the evacuation of residents beyond the six-kilometer radius of Mayon Volcano’s Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ).

This came after Mayon had a lava flow activity at 7:47 p.m. on Sunday, emplacing at least 500 meters from the summit crater along the Bonga and Miisi Gullies.

Mayon Volcano is currently under Alert Level 3 due to its “intensified unrest” or magmatic unrest.

“Pinapaalalahanan namin ang mga tao [we’re reminding the people], even beyond the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone na maghanda na sila [to prepare]…in case we will raise the alert level to Alert Level 4, or in case we maintain the Alert Level 3 but we will recommend the extension nung mga taong nakatira [of the residents] beyond the 6 kilometers,” PHIVOLCS director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol said in an Unang Balita interview.

With this, Bacolcol said PHIVOLCS may suggest evacuating all people living within the 7-kilometer radius of Mayon Volcano, depending on their monitoring of the volcano’s activities.

“Based sa report ng LGU, na-evacuate na nila lahat,” he answered when asked if all the residents living within Mayon Volcano’s 6-km radius PDZ have already been evacuated.

(Based on the LGU report, they have evacuated everyone.)

Bacolcol also stressed that PHIVOLCS will not raise Mayon Volcano’s alert status to Alert Level 4 “for now.”

As of 5 a.m. on Monday, 21 volcanic earthquakes, 260 rockfall events, and three pyroclastic density current events were recorded in Mayon Volcano.

A fair crater glow also remained to be visible to the naked eye, while its edifice is inflated. It also emitted 642 tonnes of sulfur dioxide on Sunday.