Small explosions still possible at Mayon

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the reported decline in volcanic earthquakes at Mt. Mayon in the past several days, the country’s chief volcanologist yesterday said small explosions are still possible, as the sulfur dioxide emission remained high.

Asked if they are considering the possibility of further lowering the alert level at Mayon from 3 to 2, Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the low number of volcanic quakes would not be the only basis in doing so.

“You don’t just drop the alert level… volcanic earthquake is just one of the parameters, we have to look at all the parameters,” Solidum told The STAR.

In its latest advisory, Phivolcs said four volcanic quakes were recorded in the past 24 hours.

Solidum said the volume of sulfur dioxide emitted though remained high. “The volume of sulfur dioxide gas was over 1,000 tons based on our latest observation,” he said, adding that this means that magmatic degassing is going on inside the volcano.

Meanwhile, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and officials of the province’s Public Safety and Emergency Management Office clarified yesterday that 313 of the 510 families who were not allowed to return home were not in evacuation camps anymore but in resettlement sites where they were brought after the Mayon eruption and the onslaught of typhoon “Reming” in 2006.

In fact, these families were already awarded their lots at the Anislag relocation site in Daraga town for the Bañadero evacuees, and at the Tula-Tula resettlement site in Legazpi City for the Anoling evacuees in Camalig town, Salceda said.     – With Cet Dematera