Mayon quakes intensify anew

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — From nine earthquakes the other day, Mayon Volcano’s seismic activity shot up to 184 in the past 24 hours, accompanied by a high sulfur dioxide emission of 1,689 tons, 238 rockfall events and three pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported yesterday.

Paul Alanis, Phivolcs resident volcanologist at the Lignon Hill Observatory in this city, said these high values of abnormal parameters indicated active magma movement at the volcano’s upper chamber, which continuously pushed lava out of the crater.

“Although these volcanic earthquakes still lack energy to trigger a strong eruption, these indicate that massive degassing and magma ascent is taking place inside Mayon,” Alanis said, adding that the volcano’s surface remains inflated.

Phivolcs’ records showed that volcanic earthquakes peaked at 109 on July 10 and 39 on Saturday before dropping to nine on Sunday.

The fluctuating volcanic quakes and other abnormal signs showed that Mayon’s overall condition remains within the Alert Level 3 status, Alanis said.

“As fluctuations in the values of abnormal parameters continue, we cannot tell yet where the volcano is leading us. We have to observe a sustained decline in at least two weeks, or a sudden spike in the overall abnormal behavior before we can lower or elevate Mayon’s alert status,” he said.

As prolonged eruption is being anticipated from Mayon, officials ofthe Albay disaster management council are looking for alternative programs for displaced residents, whose sources of livelihood are within the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay public safety and emergency management office, said that relocated residents who have no means of livelihood would keep going back to the danger zone even when the volcano is in a high level of unrest.

“This is a perennial problem. Their sources of livelihood in the danger zone entice them to sneak back,” Daep told The STAR yesterday.

Meanwhile, 1,624 people displaced by Mayon have been diagnosed with respiratory infections, according to the Department of Health.

DOH spokesman Eric Tayag said the figure was recorded from June 12 to July 16, wherein the affected evacuees were found to be suffering from colds, cough and flu.

“If there are cases that we deem suspicious, the DOH immediately conducts confirmation as cough and colds are also symptoms of COVID. We subject the affected persons to COVID tests,” Tayag said.

He said that so far, no new COVID cases have been reported in evacuation centers.

As this developed, the Department of Labor and Employment has released P4.9 million in financial assistance for Mayon victims.

The amount covers the salaries of 1,248 residents of Guinobatan town, who were provided emergency employment. — Mayen Jaymalin