ANGELES CITY—The Office of Civil Defense Central Luzon yesterday warned tourists and trekkers going to Mount Pinatubo to observe extreme precaution following a series of volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology PHIVOLCS issued an advisory citing alert level 1 or abnormal activities of the volcano but no imminent eruption was foreseen.
“There is a low level unrest that maybe related to tectonic processes beneath its edifice and that no imminenet eruption is foreseen,” stated in the PHIVOLCS advisory posted in its official Facebook page.
OCD 3 reminded communities and local government units surrounding the volcano to be always prepare for both earthquake and volcanic hazard and to review and strengthen contingency and emergency plans.
PHIVOLCS is closely monitoring the volcano condition as ‘abnormal’ prevails over the Mount Pinatubo, stated in the 8 a.m. Pinatubo Volcano Bulletin.
“Alert level no. 1 is hoisted over the volcano. Entry into the Mount Pinatubo crater area must be conducted with extreme caution and should be avoided if possible,” PHIVOLCS said in its advisory.
Mount Pinatubo crater had been a favorite destination by foreign and local tourists due to its natural scenery and the crater lake on top of the volcano.
Mt. inatubo erupted some 30 years ago. The eruption and cascading lahar flow destoyed wide areas in Central Luzon and its volcanic ashes reached far and wide.