Camarines volcano not erupting

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) allayed fears yesterday on the possible eruption of Mt. Labo in Camarines Sur following earthquakes reportedly felt by villagers near the volcano in the past days.

In a phone interview, Lesty Saquilon, Phivolcs science research specialist, said the quakes recently felt in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur were tectonic in origin, adding that the area is near the Philippine Fault Zone. Tectonic pertains to the structure or movement of the earth’s crust.

In a radio interview yesterday, Del Gallego Mayor Bayani Veluz said residents have been experiencing up to three Intensity 3 earthquakes in a day.

Veluz requested Phivolcs to send a team to assess the frequent earthquakes felt in their area.

Saquilon described the 1,544-meter high Mt. Labo as “potentially active.”

He, however, said Phivolcs has no available data on previous eruptions of the volcano, adding it could have erupted a thousand years ago.

Del Gallego is a fourth-class town with 32 barangays and a population of 20,456.