Danger zone extended; evacuation alert aired
MAYON Volcano in Albay spewed lava on Sunday night during an “effusive eruption,” an event that did not necessitate the raising of the Level 3 alert status but prompted an extension of the permanent danger zone.
Teresito Bacolcol, officer-in-charge of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the lava flow was observed at the Mi-Isi and Bonga gullies at 7:47 p.m. and reached 1.8 km from the volcano’s summit.
“There was an effusive eruption, meaning slow release of magma from the volcano’s edifice, that’s why there was a lava flow,” he said.
“Lava poured out from the vent and again, they are slow moving, this is what we call an effusive eruption. The lava flows are typically slow moving,” he added.
Bacolcol said effusive eruptions are generally less violent and it produce less ash and volcanic gasses compared to explosive eruptions.
“Hopefully, the situation stays this way and won’t evolve into an explosive eruption,” said Bacolcol.
Asked if similar activities are expected, Bacolcol just said Phivolcs is continuously monitoring the situation.
Bacolcol said Mayon will remain under Alert Level 3 (increased tendency towards hazardous eruption) despite the effusive eruption.
On the possibility of raising Alert Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent), Bacolcol said there are other parameters that should be considered before doing this. These include a 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.
Phivolcs, in a bulletin, said it has recorded 21 weak volcanic earthquakes and 260 rockfall events from 5 a.m Sunday to 5 a.m yesterday.
“Three dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents that lasted two to four minutes were also detected,” said Phivolcs.
It said Mayon’s sulfur dioxide emission during the period was placed at 642 tons.
As to the two other volcanoes Phivolcs is monitoring, the agency has observed increased volcanic activity of Taal Volcano in Batangas and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Islands over the past weeks but they remain under Alert Level 1 (low level unrest).
DANGER ZONE, EVACUATION
Bacolcol said if Alert Level 4 is declared at Mayon Volcano, the permanent danger zone (PDZ) which currently covers 6 km will have to be extended to 8 km.
Authorities began evacuation of individuals inside the 6 km on Thursday last week when Alert Level 3 was raised, from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest).
Eugene Escobar, chief of the research division of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, yesterday said authorities have completed the evacuation of 3,761 families (about 13,000 individuals) from the 6-km danger zone. He said the evacuees are staying in evacuation centers.
Bacolcol said while Alert Level 3 remains, residents beyond the 6 km PDZ up to 8 km should prepare for possible evacuation.
“We are advising people living beyond the 6 km permanent danger zone but within 8 km from the summit of the volcano to prepare just in case we raise the alert level to Alert Level 4,” he said.
“We have to be prepared so that if we raise it (alert status) to Alert Level 4, they are ready (for evacuation),” said Bacolcol.
Yesterday morning, Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman, chair of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council, extended the PDZ to seven km.
“All population inside the 7-kilometer extended danger zone is placed under preparedness status – meaning, evacuation will be executed anytime and should bring with them necessities in the evacuation center,” said Lagman in an advisory.
Lagman said all city, municipal and barangay risk reduction and management offices “must remain in constant readiness to implement evacuation anytime.”
Lagman said the move was done “due to the increasing unrest of Mayon Volcano and to sustain the zero casualty and in the interest of public safety.”
In a press briefing yesterday afternoon, Lagman said evacuation may be implemented when Phivolcs raises Alert Level 4.
Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos said, “Right now we have scenario building. As what I’ve mentioned before, if in the event there should be Alert Level 4, you are talking of 25,000 individuals more (to be evacuated).”
AID
Abalos said the United Arab Emirates has donated 50 tons of relief for people affected by the unrest of Mayon and other volcanoes.
Abalos said he earlier received a call from UAE ambassador Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi informing him that “the President of UAE upon seeing the news about Mayon, about Taal and the others, they want to give humanitarian donations in the form of 50 tons of goods, of food.”
Abalos said the relief goods included rice, tuna, flour, dates, oil and other essentials.
The Department of Transportation said the UAE donation of assorted food items arrived in Manila on Emirates freighter B777 and received by Abalos, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista and Ambassador Alzaabi.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured communities affected by Mayon’s unrest that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units (LGUs) of Albay have enough supply of food and other forms of assistance for at least 90 days.
Gatchalian, in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), said that historically, an explosion and its effects can last for a minimum of 45 days.
He said the food relay system is also in place wherein the national government through the DSWD will provide food and other types of assistance to affected communities, especially those staying in the evacuation centers, for the first 15 days, followed by the LGUs for the next six days. DSWD will gain take over for 15 days to be followed again by the LGUs, with the cycle to be repeated until all the families are all able to return to their homes.
The DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center said that of 6 p.m. of June 11, affected were 34,991 persons or 8,672 families from 26 barangays in Albay, with 13,612 persons or 3,643 families staying in 20 evacuation centers and 565 persons or 151 families living with relatives or friends.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said there were 3,938 families or 14,376 individuals displaced as of yesterday morning.
Of the number, 3,782 families or 13,792 individuals are housed in 22 evacuation centers and 156 families or 594 individuals are staying with relatives or friends.
BICOL AIRPORT
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said operations at the Bicol International Airport remained normal with no reported flight cancellations.
In an advisory, CAAP said that as of 2:15 p.m. yesterday, the Philippines Airlines (PAL) was operating six flights, and eight flights for Cebu Pacific and its unit CebGo.
CAAP also issued an updated notice to airmen, advising flight operations to avoid flying close to Mayon’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
For Taal Volcano, it said flight operations are advised to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions may pose a hazard to aircraft.
On Kanlaon, CAPP said flight operations are advised to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit due to possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions that may pose a hazard to aircraft. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Myla Iglesias
