Mayon Volcano continued to be restive on Tuesday, but “in a gentle and quiet mode,” according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) which also said lava flows have reached 2.5 kilometers along the Mi-isi gully in Daraga, Albay.
The Phivolcs said very slow effusions along Bonga gully in Legazpi City has also reached 1.8 kilometers, while lava streams on both gullies were within 3.3 kilometers long.
Additionally, 301 rockfall events, two pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) and one volcanic earthquakes were recorded by Phivolcs in their 24-hour observation from early morning of Friday and Tuesday.
Mayon was still under Alert Level 3 due to intensified magmatic unrest.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said that they are ready for the possible Alert Level 4 status in anticipation of more activities from the volcano.
OCD administrator and National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Ariel Nepomuceno said P1.3 billion worth of assistance was on standby.
Nepomuceno said the government has prepared for the basic needs of affected residents such as food, water, hygiene kits, and others.
On the other hand, Daraga municipal health officer Dr. Edna Freya Tan has given assurance that the local government has bolstered its continuous COVID-19 prevention and control efforts amid the first case of COVID-positive evacuee in the evacuation center.
Since the confirmation of the first COVID-positive evacuee on June 19, the Department of Health Bicol Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) encouraged the evacuees to get primary vaccinations and booster shots.
Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said they were still closely monitoring the volcano’s activity, especially its parameters—the bases for downgrading or raising its alert status.
Alert Level 3 stays over the volcano, meaning to say that there remains a relatively high unrest and an increased tendency toward hazardous eruption.
“What we see are low-level parameters, largely similar to its 2014 effusive eruption,” he said.
“Effusive eruption involves the gentle release of lava on the edifice of the volcano,” he added.
Over the past 24 hours, the Mayon Volcano Network said very slow effusion of lava from its summit crater continued to feed lava flows and collapse debris on the Mi-isi (south) and Bonga (southeastern) gullies.
“Continuous moderate degassing from the summit crater produced steam-laden plumes that rose 800 meters before drifting to the general west,” it said.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission averaged 389 tons/day on June 19 as compared with June 18›s 889 tons/day.
Phivolcs said the residents living within the permanent danger zone must remain at the evacuation centers.