“We join in the call by authorities for people within the 6-km permanent danger zone to be vigilant”
MAYON, among 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines, has prompted warnings for vigilance after signaling a potential hazardous eruption earlier this week.
Volcanologists have raised the volcano’s alert to Level 2 following increased shallow magmatic unrest, marked by significant rockfalls and ground swelling.
The 2,463-meter-high Mayon, visible beyond 200 kilometers across the Bicol Peninsula, has had several activity periods, with significant eruptive phases in 2018 (lava flows, pyroclastic flows) and more recent minor events like phreatic or steam eruptions in early 2024 (Feb 4, May 30, Jul 18, Aug 25), and observations of new lava, continuous ground deformation and rockfall events last month, indicating ongoing unrest rather than a single “last” eruption.
Mayon, an active stratovolcano in Albay and popular tourist spot, is renowned for its near “perfect cone” because of its symmetric conical shape, is regarded as sacred in Philippine mythology
Last month, new lava spines were observed at the summit, signaling shallow magma and increased rockfall, leading to heightened monitoring by volcanologists.
These latest signs of unrest are similar to pre-eruption signs before Mayon’s 2023 activity, indicating a greater chance of eruption, which raises the need for vigilance and for the tens of thousands of people in surrounding towns to avoid the 6-km permanent danger zone or PDZ.
We join in the call by authorities for people within the danger zone to be vigilant and stay away when necessary.
Towns around Mayon, like Legazpi, Guinobatan, Camalig, Oas and Tiwi in Albay, have populations ranging from tens of thousands to over 200,000, with the entire Albay province nearing 1.4 million people as of mid-2025, showing the dense population surrounding the volcano.
During volcanic unrest, from nearly 40,000 to 110,000 people across numerous villages in danger zones face risks from hazards like ashfall and pyroclastic flows, according to local officials.
We are gladdened that following Mayon’s upgrade to Alert Level 2 on Thursday, the PDRRMC-APSEMO immediately issued advisories prohibiting entry into the 6-km PDZ, restricting All-Terrain Vehicle rides, closing Mayon Skyline, and placing local units on alert for potential evacuations, as increased rockfall events signal potential hazardous magmatic eruption.
PDRRMC-APSEMO refers to the joint advisory or coordination between the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, a leading agency in disaster preparedness in Albay which work together to issue warnings, coordinate responses, and ensure public safety during emergencies like typhoons or floods, often involving pre-emptive actions and resource mobilization.
The Philippines has many volcanoes because it sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped zone where the Philippine Sea Plate and Eurasian Plate collide, causing one plate to slide under the other.
This process melts the crust, creating magma that rises to form volcanic arcs, resulting in numerous active volcanoes like Mayon, Taal, and Pinatubo, making the country geologically very active.
