Albay tourism booms amid Mayon’s unrest

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — Mayon Volcano’s restiveness is drawing more local and foreign tourists, the Albay Provincial Tourism, Culture and Arts Office (PTCAO) reported yesterday.

PTCAO chief Dorothy Colle said many hotels, restaurants and other tourist destinations around Mayon have reported increases in their customers.

Colle cited the Cagsawa Ruins in Barangay Busay in Daraga town, where visitors flock to view Mayon as it spews lava and other volcanic materials.

She said stores have been extending their business hours until 10 p.m. to cater to the surge of Mayon viewers.

“Before the eruption, Cagsawa Ruins Park visitors ran from 150 to 200 in a day. Now it peaks to 500 visitors a day,” Colle told The STAR.

“We have a list of safe viewing places in Albay for our visitors when Mayon is erupting,” she said.

Colle said non-cancellation of flights to Albay despite Mayon’s unrest has contributed to increased tourist arrivals.

Colle said flights at the former Legazpi City Airport were canceled during the 2018 Mayon eruption because of its proximity to the volcano.

“Now that the airport has been transferred to Daraga and is safe from Mayon’s eruption hazards, no flight is canceled. That’s why visitors continue to come to Albay,” she said.

In the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded eight pyroclastic density currents generated by a dome and lava-front collapse.

Up to 423 rockfall events, 24 volcanic earthquakes, plumes that rose to 750 meters and sulfur dioxide emission that averaged 1,128 tons were monitored.

Phivolcs said Mayon remains under Alert Level 3 due to ”relatively high level of unrest.”