Mayon Volcano remained under alert level 3 as it showed no signs of slowing down, the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Teresito Bacolcol, said, adding that the ongoing diffusive eruption would persist for at least three months.
“If this continues without abrupt changes in the next few days, this would probably take at least three months,” Bacolcol said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Bacolcol added that although the ongoing eruption is diffusive, it is still categorized as an eruption.
In the latest Phivolcs advisory, Mayon logged 399 rockfall events and 13 dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents in the past 24 hours from June 22 to June 23.
Sulfur dioxide emission from the volcano reached 706 tons per day on June 22, much higher compared to Wednesday’s 574 tons.
No volcanic earthquakes were recorded.
Phivolcs repeated its call on the residents to avoid entering the six-kilometer permanent danger zone due to the danger of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards.
The state volcanologists also warned that heavy rainfall could generate channel-confined lahar and sediment-laden streamflows in channels where PDC deposits are located.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported a total of 38,982 residents, or 10,110 families from 26 barangays in Albay have been affected by Mayon’s intensified unrest.
A total of 18,733 individuals or 5,336 families are staying in 28 evacuation centers across the province, while 1,409 individuals, or 402 families are staying in other places.
Eighteen cities and municipalities are under a state of calamity due to the Mayon’s activities.
Assistance given to the affected residents has reached a total worth of P85.67 million, the agency said.