No Christmas lull for Mayon

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported yesterday that 96 ash explosions were recorded at Mt. Mayon, as the volcano remained restive on Christmas Day.

Phivolcs said magma continued to rise to the crater, as shown by at least 125 rumbling sounds, and about 2,738 tons of sulfur dioxide were emitted.

Alert level 4 remained hoisted over Mayon volcano as of yesterday, which means that a hazardous eruption is possible within days, Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs said 96 ash explosions were observed during times of good visibility, adding that these explosions produced light brown to grayish ash columns that reached heights of up to two kilometers.

A total of 871 volcanic earthquakes were likewise recorded in the past 24 hours.

Phivolcs said 98 rock fall events, related to detachment of lava fragments at the volcano’s upper slopes, were also detected.

Officials said three of these events were observed to have generated pyroclastic flows, which trickled at least two kilometers downstream from the crater.

A pyroclastic flow is a turbulent mass of ejected fragmented volcanic materials like ash and rocks, mixed with hot gas that flows down slope at a very high speed of more than 60 kilometers per hour.

Phivolcs reminded the public that the Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) from the summit of eight kilometers on the southern sector of the volcano and seven kilometers on the northern sector should be free of human activity.

Areas just outside of this EDZ should prepare for evacuation in the event hazardous explosive eruptions intensify, it said.

“Active river channels and those perennially identified as lahar prone in the southern sector should also be avoided especially during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall,” the agency said.

Evacuation continues

Authorities continued the evacuation of residents from high-risk barangays within the six- to eight-kilometer danger zone from the crater of the volcano.

Reports reaching Camp Crame said police and military officers were sent to help evacuate residents from risk areas.

Task Force Mayon dispatched several vehicles and a platoon of soldiers and policemen in the danger zone of Mayon covering Legazpi City, Ligao City, Guinobatan and Camalig.

Authorities will forcibly evacuate the remaining residents who refuse to leave the danger zone.

Some 1,344 people were evacuated from Barangays Mabinit and Matanag in Legazpi City, Barangay Baligang in Ligao City and other villages in Guinobatan, Camalig and Daraga.

The danger zone is being cleared and sealed off and the no human activity rule will strictly be enforced.

Cora Samar, chief forecaster in Bicol of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), warned residents that the prevailing northeast monsoon winds over Bicol could spread the tons of ash now deposited along the slopes of Mayon.

Samar said the northeast monsoon is expected to intensify starting January and bring winds with maximum speed of 75 kilometers per hour.

Samar said ashes along Mayon’s slopes could be loosened and flow downstream to various directions, depending on the height and position of the volcanic deposits.

The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) has already issued a 10-point guideline in connection with the volcanic eruption.

Nestor Santiago Jr., Bicol health director, said that they had already distributed at least 50,000 facemasks to the local government units whose residents are prone to ash fall.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) office in Legaspi City said that it would immediately cancel flights if ash fall would start affecting the fly zone as well as the Legazpi City airport runway and facilities, or divert flights to the other Bicol airports in Pili, Camarines Sur; Daet, Camarines Norte; Virac, Catanduanes; and Masbate City.

Guinobatan Mayor Juaning Garcia appealed to disaster management officials in Albay to send the necessary assistance after ash started falling on the town, particularly in the villages at the foothills of Mayon.

Tips during eruption

Apsemo’s ten tips during eruption are: Listen to the radio for official bulletins issued by Phivolcs, evacuate to safe temporary shelter for those residing in the declared danger zone, stay away from the lava front, don’t forgo your life in favor of investment in the danger zone, stay home and avoid needless movements during ash fall, when driving in ash fall area park your car properly, turn on the headlights and stop the engine, shield from inhaling the volcanic ashes using clean damp cloth or handkerchief, move out animals to livestock evacuation site, clear roofing of accumulated ash, and don’t return home until the alert level is lowered by Phivolcs to level 2.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and the mayors of affected towns and cities distributed Christmas gifts to the over 20,000 children in the 28 evacuation center across the province.

Each child, aged 15 and below, received P200, candies, and toys.

Salceda said that the token items were meant to compensate for the children’s failure to have their traditional caroling and pamasko or Christmas gifts from their godparents.

“We are giving these cash and gifts to you because we know you are here in the evacuation centers and you cannot do your traditional Christmas caroling, or receive gifts from your ninongs and ninangs,” he said.

Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal had given out additional toys and candies to the young evacuees, saying this was meant to add revelry for the children this holiday season.

“Just consider these gifts as if given to you by your ninangs and ninongs,” Rosal told evacuees in Gogon Central School, Bagumbayan Central School and Albay Central School, all in Legazpi City.

Salceda said that the gifts were part of the P1-million donation last week from Defense Secretary and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chairman Norberto Gonzales. - With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jaime Laude, James Mananghaya, and Cet Dematera