Activities of Mayon, Taal, Kanlaon ‘isolated’ cases — PHIVOLCS

The recent activities observed in Mayon Volcano, Taal Volcano, and Kanlaon Volcano are isolated and have nothing to do with one another, according to the The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Monday.

Interviewed on GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita, PHIVOLCS director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol explained it is possible that three active volcanoes can be restive at the same time.

“Wala pong kaugnayan ‘yan. Independent and isolated po ‘yung activities nila. We have 24 active volcanoes and there's always this probability na two or three volcanoes pwedeng maging restless or maging restive sabay-sabay,” he said if the activities of Mayon, Taal, and Kanlaon are connected.

(They don’t have a correlation. Their activities are independent and isolated. We have 24 active volcanoes and there's always this probability that two or three volcanoes can become restless or restive at the same time.)

Currently, Mayon Volcano in Albay is under Alert Level 3 due to its “intensified unrest” or magmatic unrest. It had had a lava flow activity on Sunday night, emplacing at least 500 meters from the summit crater along the Bonga and Miisi Gullies.

PHIVOLCS said Monday it also recorded 21 volcanic earthquakes, 260 rockfall events, and three pyroclastic density current events in Mayon Volcano in the past 24 hours.

Taal Volcano in Batangas and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island, meanwhile, are both under Alert Level 1, meaning they have “low-level unrest.”

Taal Volcano had 11 volcanic quakes, including seven volcanic tremors lasting 3 to 5 minutes long. It also generated 6,884 tonnes of sulfur dioxide and 1,200 meter tall of plume. 

PHIVOLCS also logged two volcanic earthquakes, and a 200-meter high of plume in the Kanlaon Volcano. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA Integrated News