“EFFUSIVE eruption” or slow lava release continued at Mayon Volcano in Albay but fewer volcanic earthquakes and rockfall events were observed, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday.
However, the reduction in activities still does not warrant a lowering of the Alert Level 3 status which means an increased tendency towards hazardous eruption.
Phivolcs officer-in-charge Teresito Bacolcol said the agency only recorded one low-frequency volcanic earthquake from 5 a.m. Monday to 5 a.m Tuesday, from 21 recorded during the previous period. Rockfall events also declined to 221 from 260, and only one pyroclastic density current event was recorded, from three.
Asked if these indicate Mayon has gone calm, Bacolcol said, “The parameters went down but it’s too early to say (it has gone calm). That’s the reason we have to look at this on a day-to-day basis.”
Bacolcol said a slight increase of sulfur dioxide emission from Mayon was also recorded, to 723 tons from 642 tons.
On whether an increase in volcanic activities is expected, Bacolcol said the agency is still monitoring the situation. But he said low-frequency earthquakes are indicators that magma, gas and fluid are moving up to the summit of the volcano.
2014, 2018 ERUPTIONS
Bacolcol said Mayon’s activity appears similar to its effusive eruption in 2014.
“It’s following the template of the 2014 eruption which was a quiet eruption, effusive eruption. During the effusive eruption in 2014, we had rockfalls, we had short lava flow and then it stopped,” said Bacolcol.
Nevertheless, he said, Phivolcs is watching if this will lead to an event similar to the explosive eruption of Mayon in 2018.
Mayon remains under Alert Level 3 which was raised in Thursday last week. The alert level requires the evacuation of residents inside the 6 km permanent danger zone.
“We hope it stays this way, effusive eruption and we hope this will follow the template of the 2014 eruption, and not an explosive eruption just like what happened in 2018,” Bacolcol said.
“If we will have an explosive eruption, we need to really extend the permanent danger zone (to eight kilometers) and evacuate more people,” he also said.
Around 14,000 individuals from the 6 km permanent danger zone have evacuated. The number of evacuees may reach 40,000 if Alert Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent) is declared.
Bacolcol maintained there is still no reason to raise Mayon’s alert status to Level 4, noting parameters are yet to be met.
These parameters are sudden increase or decrease in sulfur dioxide emission, increase in seismic activity, inflation of the entire volcano, increase in mass flux which includes longer lava flow, increase in pyroclastic density current events, presence of laval fountaining, and minor explosions.
Bacolcol also said the activities of Mayon may last for several weeks, citing the 2014 and 2018 eruptions of Mayon.
Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman urged mayors of the three cities and six municipalities inside the 6 km permanent danger zone to exercise “political will” by relocating their constituents from the hazard zone.
“Looking forward, we need to change the system in Albay. We don’t want this to be perennial problem where we evacuate people from the 6 km permanent danger zone every time there is a threat of explosion from Mayon,” he said.
Lagman said he will sit down with mayors of the affected areas to discuss the matter.
“If possible, we should have a political will to resettle permanently our beloved constituents so this (similar Mayon unrest) won’t be burden to us (government) and to them (people),” said Lagman.
Lagman said evacuation takes a toll on the people who are being moved.
“This will have a psyco-social effect which can be seen after the end of this very challenge situation,” he said.
SUPPLIES
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said there are enough relief supplies for the evacuees.
“If ever there will be shortage, national agencies, including the OCD (Office of Civil Defense) and DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) are ready to augment,” NDRRMC deputy spokesman Diego Mariano said in a briefing.
Eugene Escobar, chief of the research division of Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, said the supply their supplies will last for 30 days.
The supplies, he said, do not include the 50 tons of relief goods donated by the United Arab Emirates. “We still have to account how many days this (UAE donation) will last,” he said.
“But its safe to say that for the next 30 or more days days, we have enough supply of food,” said Escobar.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said as of June 12, 9,338 families or 36,814 persons from 26 barangays in Albay have been affected by Mayon’s activities, with 13,778 individuals (3,878 families) of them
staying in 22 evacuation centers while 608 persons (167 families) staying with relatives.
The DSWD also said at least P29.34 million worth of family food packs and other non-food relief items have been provided to the affected communities as of June 12.
Fourteen schools in Albay are being used as evacuation centers while 18 others have suspended classes.
Data provided by the Department of Education showed that the schools that suspended classes are located in the towns of Malilipot, Daraga, Guinobatan and Camalig and the cities of Tabaco and Ligao.
Meanwhile, 45 schools are located within the 7km or 8km danger zone — five in Legazpi City, six in Ligao City, eight in Tabaco City, and 26 in nearby towns.
There are also two schools located inside the 6km permanent danger zone.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said health personnel who will be deployed to evacuation centers will be rotated to prevent burnout and other possible ailments.
An initial 167 health workers from the DOH regional office in Albay were sent to the evacuation centers.
The Diocese of Legazpi said it welcomes donations for evacuated residents.
It said in-kind donations may be delivered to local parishes or to the Legazpi Social Action Center office at the Albay Cathedral Compound in Legazpi City.
Cash donations may be sent to BPI account with name Social Action Center-SPM, and number 0851-0067-37. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Ashzel Hachero and Gerard Naval
