The Philippines’ most active volcano has begun spewing lava down its slopes, raising alarm among officials who are now urging tens of thousands of villagers to prepare for a potential evacuation. Authorities have warned that if the ongoing gentle eruption escalates into a violent explosion, it could pose a grave threat to life and property.
Since the volcanic activity intensified last week, more than 13,000 people from impoverished farming communities within a 6-kilometre radius of Mayon Volcano’s crater have been compelled to evacuate. However, an unknown number of residents still remain in the permanent danger zone, defying the longstanding prohibition on inhabiting the area. This courageous yet risky decision is driven by the fact that they have no alternative places to call home.
Teresito Bacolcol, the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, has expressed concern that if the eruption escalates, the high-risk zone around Mayon may need to be expanded. In such an event, residents within the extended danger zone must be prepared to swiftly evacuate to emergency shelters.
Bacolcol said: “What we are seeing now is an effusive eruption.
“We are looking at this on a day-to-day basis.”
Sunday night witnessed an awe-inspiring spectacle as journalists saw the mesmerising flow of lava down the volcano’s southeastern gullies from a safe distance.
Residents and tourists in Legazpi, the bustling capital of northeastern Albay province located approximately 14 kilometres away from Mayon, rushed out of restaurants and bars to capture photographs of the volcano renowned for its picturesque conical shape.
However, Mayon’s reawakening has not only evoked fear but also inflicted additional suffering. One survivor, Marilyn Miranda, narrated her harrowing escape from a village within the danger zone in Guinobatan town.
Together with her daughter and 75-year-old mother, who recently suffered a stroke, they sought refuge in a sweltering high school converted into an evacuation centre.
Miranda disclosed that her nephew bravely returns to their home daily, joining other men from their impoverished rural neighbourhood who valiantly safeguard their houses and livestock.
From their cramped quarters in the overcrowded evacuation centre, they watched in terror as bright red-orange lava streaks illuminated the night sky on Sunday. Overwhelmed with emotions, Miranda tearfully confided, “We had this feeling that our end is near.”
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For Amelia Morales and her grief-stricken family, Mayon’s recent eruption compounds a string of tragic events. Just days prior, her husband succumbed to an aneurysm and other illnesses, forcing her to hold his funeral wake in a crowded emergency shelter in Guinobatan. Morales and her neighbours received orders to evacuate their community near Mayon, leaving them destitute and dependent on aid.
With a trembling voice, Morales pleaded: “I need help to bury my husband because we don’t have any money left”.
She sat near her husband’s coffin, positioned under a flimsy tent, seeking solace amidst the chaos of the evacuation centre. “I cannot do anything but cry,” she added.
Despite the apparent calm on Monday, Mayon’s summit intermittently concealed by drifting clouds, Bacolcol clarified that red-hot lava was still cascading down the volcano’s slopes. Unfortunately, the intense sunlight hindered its visibility for those on the ground.
On Thursday, Mayon was raised to alert level three on a five-step warning system, indicating heightened unrest and the imminent possibility of a hazardous eruption within weeks or even days.
For now, as long as the lava flows gently, Bacolcol affirmed that the alert level would be maintained at three. However, authorities stand ready to escalate it promptly if the eruption takes a sudden turn for the worse.
A chilling scenario unfolds if the alert level reaches its maximum at five. This would signify a violent and life-threatening eruption, with menacing ash plumes shooting into the sky and scorching pyroclastic flows endangering communities residing at Mayon’s verdant foothills.
Historical records bear witness to the destructive power of this colossal force of nature. In 1814, Mayon’s eruption obliterated entire villages, leaving a trail of death with an estimated toll surpassing 1,000 lives.
The Philippine archipelago, nestled in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” stands battered by approximately 20 typhoons and tropical storms annually. This geographical location places the country at a higher risk of seismic activity, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recurrent phenomena.
A sombre reminder of the nation’s volcanic past occurred in 1991 when Mount Pinatubo, situated north of Manila, unleashed a cataclysmic eruption. It stands as one of the most formidable volcanic events of the 20th century, claiming hundreds of lives and leaving a lasting impact on the region.
