Mayon Eruption This Christmas Season Feared

LEGAZPI CITY, Dec. 19 --Harmonic tremors continue to shake Mayon volcano, an indication that the volcano is in the brink of a volatile eruption expected within weeks or days.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the volcano manifested an increased seismic activity as 248 volcanic quakes and tremors were totally recorded by instruments for the past 24 hour observation period.

Fifty of these events were explosion type, however, only seven were observed during times of good visibility.

These explosions produced dark gray to dark brown ash columns that reached a maximum height of up to 1,000 meters above the summit before drifting towards southwest.

Julio Sabit, Phivolcs scientist said the institute was closely looking into the critical events that might take place this week since this would be a determining period where two possible scenarios might occur.

Sabit said the two scenarios that might happen are first, the eruption would be similar to the 2006 event where a quiet eruption occurred manifested by continuous lava emission while the second, the eruption would be an explosive patterned to that of the 1984, 1993 or 2000 eruptions.

He said that there were parameters to be considered in saying the volcano was on imminent eruptive state such as manifestation of lava fountaining, high and low frequency volcanic tremors, and high sulfur gas emission.

"With all of these parameters, the volcano intense seismic activity may lead to a full blown eruption," he said.

Sabit said the institute was also closely checking the growth of two lava dome developing the volcano's crater summit.

He said the building up of the dome would be a critical event since once the pressure beneath the volcano puffs up, this would break the dome, causing disintegrated fragments to roll down the volcano's slopes triggering secondary pyroclastic flows, ashes and rock falls.

Phivolcs scientist were closely looking into the harmonic tremors, which were continuously recorded by the seismic instruments, indicating that magma was climbing the volcano's vent and might lead to a full-blown eruption.

Steaming activity ranged from dirty white to light brown in color while in the evening an intensified crater glow was observed.

The advancing lava flow has now reached about three kilometers downslope from the crater while incandescent fragments from the lava pile continuously roll down along Bonga Gully reaching about 3-4 kilometers downslope.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate was still high at 1,065 tons per day (t/d).

Alert Level 3 remained hoisted over Mayon Volcano.

Bansawan said the KBP projects initiated by OPAPP and ACCORD is another version of the Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Forced evacuation, curfew imposed

Meanwhile, disaster authorities here gave stubborn villagers, living near the volcano's danger zone, until 12 midnight to move to safer ground or face force evacuation to their designated holding areas as Mt. Mayon's imminent eruption nears.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said to follow the midnight ultimatum, a 24 hour curfew would be enforce in the 6 Km Permanent Danger Zones and up to the 8 Km extended danger zone in the southeast quadrant of the volcano.

The measure would be a persuasive and enforced strategy to bring the people to safer grounds, he said.

The imposition of the force evacuation deadline and curfew inside the danger zone was in respond to reports that defiant villagers continue to do their farming and household choirs despite the dangers posed by restive Mayon volcano.

Salceda said upon the raising of Mayon's Alert Level to 3, the 6Km PDZ and up to the 8Km EDZ were declared as "No Man's Land," meaning no person would be allowed to stay or enter the designate danger zones.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales on Wednesday reiterated the order and directed military authorities manning the nine checkpoints around the danger zone to strictly enforce the "no man's land" rule as a preemptive measure to attain a "Zero Casualty" target during the impending Mayon eruption.

Salceda, during an emergency meeting, said the order would include tourist, and media outfits covering the Mayon impending eruption

Reports said that print and broadcast journalist and photographers from major broadcast, print networks and foreign wire services were sighted making their interviews and photo shoots inside the "off limits" zones, defying the standing order.

Salceda directed Army Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the 901st Army Infantry Brigade and team leader of the AFP joint Task Force Mayon, to strictly implement the "no man's land" order.

On the request of Salceda, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Thursday passed a resolution declaring villages near the danger zones to be on a 24-hours curfew, this will keep away villagers to enter and do their farming activities in the area.

The PDCC also consulted with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) concerning the imposition of the ultimatum and curfew orders.

PDCC records show that as of 5 p.m. Thursday, 7,103 families or about 33,833 people were housed in various evacuation camps in the towns of Malilipot, Sto Domingo, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and the cities of Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco.

The figure represents 72 percent of the 10,000 families targeted to be evacuated within the 72 hours period, which ended 12 midnight Thursday. (PNA)