Evacuees head home as Mayon unrest eases
LEGAZPI CITY—After staying in evacuation centers for six months, families who were displaced by Mayon’s unrest can now return home after government geologists said its volcanic activity had eased.
In its 3 p.m. bulletin on Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lowered Mayon’s status from alert level 3 (magmatic unrest with increased tendency toward hazardous eruption) to alert level 2 (moderate level of unrest).
“Mayon Volcano’s monitoring network and observation of day-to-day conditions have recorded a general decline in unrest since July 23,” Phivolcs said.
After its peak between July 11 and July 18, “eruptive activity at Mayon’s summit crater has declined,” according to Phivolcs, adding that there were indications of “a cessation of supply of fresh magma from the crater.”
“Volcanic earthquakes generated by Strombolian activity, magma extrusion, degassing and occasional rock-fracturing beneath the edifice have diminished from a monthly average of 57 events per day since Jan. 6 … to 13 events per day since July 23. Real-time seismic energy release from the volcano … has also returned to pre-eruption levels,” it added.
Following Phivolcs advisory, the local government of Camalig in Albay province has ordered the decampment of families still staying in evacuation centers.
Camalig Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. said the 693 remaining evacuees at Camalig Bungkaras evacuation center and Tagaytay Elementary School can return home beginning 8 a.m. Thursday.
The advisory also ordered the deactivation of security checkpoints in Barangays Anoling and Quirangay, although the police were directed to continue monitoring recovery operations and provide assistance when needed.
As many as 204 families (726 people) were evacuated from the villages of Anoling, Sua and Quirangay on Jan. 6 after Phivolcs raised alert level 3.
Hazards remain
Also on Wednesday, Oscar Robert Cristobal, head of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo), issued a decampment order effective on Thursday for all evacuation centers in the province hosting families affected by Mayon’s unrest.
Apsemo had initially evacuated 1,131 families (4,108 people) from the volcano’s 6-kilometer permanent danger zone in communities within Tabaco and Ligao cities, and the towns of Malilipot, Camalig, Guinobatan and Daraga.
“The lowering of the alert status should not be interpreted to mean that the volcano’s unrest has ceased, considering that the edifice is still pressurized and sulfur dioxide emission remains high relative to baseline levels,” Phivolcs said.
State geologists also warned against lahar flows during heavy rains “given the large amounts of volcanic material deposited by the 2026 eruption.”
