Mayon Volcano alert level raised to 2

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday raised to Alert Level 2 the alert status of Mayon Volcano due to increased activity.

In a bulletin issued at 6 a.m., PHIVOLCS said raising the alert level from 1 (low-level unrest) to 2 (increasing/moderate level of unrest) means that there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could lead to hazardous magmatic eruption. 

It said a total of 47 rockfall events were recorded Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the highest incidence in a single day for the past year. 

It added a total of 599 rockfall events have been detected in the last two months of 2025, or an average of 10 events per day, but in the last week of December 2025, average rockfall increased to 21 events per day.

It further said that since November 2025, an increase in rockfall shed by the summit lava dome of Mayon Volcano has been recorded by visual and seismic monitors of the Mayon Volcano Network.

"Increased rockfall at Mayon has been a precursory sign of magmatic dome growth within the upper edifice preceding an eruption, similar to conditions before the 2023 eruption," PHIVOLCS said. 

It noted the current unrest has exhibited no significant volcanic earthquake or sulfur dioxide anomalies, but in contrast to 2023, ground deformation parameters have been anomalous for almost 18 months.

The state volcanology bureau said long-term ground deformation data based on EDM, continuous GPS, and electronic tilt monitoring indicate that the Mayon edifice, particularly its eastern to northeastern slopes, has been swelling or inflating since June 2024. 

It added short-term swelling or inflation on the western to southwestern slopes also began in May 2025. 

"Persistent and increasing rockfall, coupled with long- to short-term swelling of the edifice, may indicate increased chances of an eruption occurring at the summit of Mayon, generating hazardous volcanic hazards that may impact surrounding communities," it said.

PHIVOLCS advised the public to be vigilant and refrain from entering the six kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) to minimize risks from sudden explosions, pyroclastic density currents (PDC) or uson, rockfall, landslides and ballistic projectiles. 

It also said local government units must prepare communities within the PDC hazard zone for subsequent evacuation in case unrest suddenly escalates and the Alert Level is further raised. 

It urged civil aviation authorities to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash and ballistic fragments from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. —AOL, GMA Integrated News