MANILA, Philippines — The Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is calling on local authorities to prepare their action plans in case state volcanologists flag Mayon Volcano further due to increased activity.
In an advisory on Saturday morning, the Albay PDRRMC told local officers to ready their respective real-time warning and information system, create a communication protocol, and each barangay is already called on to prepare an evacuation plan.
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Other logistics and relief and sanitation requirements related to the evacuation should also be prepared, the PDRRMC said.
This comes after Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level in Mayon Volcano on Friday to Alert Level 2 after unrest due to “shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to phreatic eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruption.”
It is among the over 20 active volcanoes in the country, with its most destructive eruption recorded in 1814 after it buried Cagsawa town and buried over 1,000 residents.
In line with the raised alert level, the Albay PDRRMC also called on locals to avoid the following areas, which are part of the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone:
- Sto. Domingo - Barangay Lidong
- Legazpi City - upper areas of Padang, Buyuan, Matanag, Bonga and Mabinit
- Daraga - Banadero, Matnog, Salvacion, Liisi, and Malobago
- Camalig - Upper Quirangay, Tumpa, Sua, Anoling, and Tinubran
- Guinobatan - Baligang and Amtic
- Tabaco City - Magapo, Buanga, and Buhian
- Malilipot - Canaway, Calbayog, and upper San Roque
Recreational activities such as mountain climbing and hiking near the volcano is also prohibited, while residents along valleys and river channels are called on to keep vigilant in case sediment-laden streamflows and lahars flow during prolonged and heavy rainfall.