THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has issued a memorandum to OCD Bicol Region and CALABARZON to heighten their monitoring and close coordination with local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and support agencies to ensure the safety of the communities.
Following the raising of Alert Level 3 of Mayon Volcano, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said in its bulletin that they also warned the residents of the increased tendency of a hazardous eruption and called for increased vigilance against pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and sediment-laden stream flows along channels draining the edifice.
“PHIVOLCS-DOST is now raising the alert status of Mayon Volcano from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3. This means that Mayon is exhibiting a magmatic eruption of a summit lava dome, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs (pyroclastic density currents) affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano and of potential explosive activity within weeks or even days,” statement from Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS).
That’s why Families living within the volcano’s six-kilometer-radius danger zone were moved to safer areas after PHIVOLCS placed Mayon under Alert Level 3, warning an eruption could be days or weeks away.
According to Civil Defense Administrator and National DRRMC Executive Director, Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said that they are coordinating with PHIVOLCS and other government agencies to implement necessary interventions.
“We are coordinating with PHIVOLCS on the volcanic activities of Mayon and Taal as well as with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, and our counterparts in Bicol Region and Calabarzon for interventions that need to be implemented,” Usec Ariel Nepomuceno, Civil Defense Administrator, National DRRMC Executive Director said.
Furthermore, pilots are advised to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
The last eruption of the Mayon volcano was in 2018 through a phreatic eruption or steam-driven explosion.
Meanwhile, OCD continues to orchestrate preparations for various scenarios amid Mayon and Taal unrest.
