Authorities in the Philippines have evacuated nearly 3,000 residents living near Mayon Volcano, the country’s most active volcano, after a series of low-level eruptions prompted officials to raise the alert level amid growing safety concerns.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Mayon’s alert level to 3 on the country’s five-tier warning system on Tuesday. The decision followed observations of intermittent rockfalls, some as large as cars, along with dangerous pyroclastic flows consisting of superheated ash, gas, and volcanic debris cascading from the crater.
“This is already an eruption — a quiet one,” said Teresito Bacolcol, the country’s chief volcanologist. He explained that lava is accumulating near the summit, causing the volcanic dome to swell and crack, triggering repeated rockfalls down the slopes.
An alert level of 5 would indicate a major explosive eruption, marked by violent ash ejections and widespread ashfall. Bacolcol noted that it remains too early to determine whether the volcano’s activity will escalate, citing the absence of key warning signs such as increased volcanic earthquakes or elevated sulfur dioxide emissions.
According to Albay provincial officials, more than 2,800 villagers from 729 households were evacuated from within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) permanent danger zone surrounding the volcano. Additionally, around 600 residents living outside the danger zone evacuated voluntarily to government-run emergency shelters, said Claudio Yucot, regional director of the Office of Civil Defence.
Although entry into the permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited, thousands of residents have long lived or farmed within the restricted area, often ignoring safety warnings. Economic activities such as sand and gravel quarrying and sightseeing tours have also continued despite the ban and Mayon’s frequent eruptions — 54 recorded since 1616.
Standing at 2,462 meters (8,007 feet), Mayon Volcano is renowned for its near-perfect cone, making it one of the Philippines’ top tourist attractions. However, it is also the most active of the country’s 24 active volcanoes, with a long history of deadly eruptions.
One haunting reminder of Mayon’s destructive power is the bell tower of a 16th-century Franciscan church in Albay, the only remnant of the town of Cagsawa, which was buried during the volcano’s 1814 eruption. That disaster killed an estimated 1,200 people, many of whom had sought refuge inside the church.
Authorities continue to monitor the volcano closely, urging residents to remain outside the danger zone as volcanic activity persists.
