The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Friday it recorded 199 rockfall events in Mayon Volcano in the past 24 hours. For more ANC Interviews, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU4AT2G3LWF27_RErcz0GVd9 For more Headstart videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU4jxZ_zzeH5rlxy__1WMTjs For more ANC Highlights videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU43K1JtKfSzAzho2UExmS3G Subscribe to the ANC YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/ANCalerts Visit our website at https://news.abs-cbn.com/anc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ancalerts Twitter: https://twitter.com/ancalerts #ANCNews #ANCHighlights #Headstart

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Hello everyone! It's Friday, June 9 here in Manila.

I'm Karen Davila giving you the head start for the day.

Our guests for Hot Copy today.

We start off with PHIVOX Director, Dr. Teresito Bacolcol.

As we monitor rumbling volcanoes in the Philippines,

is an eruption of the Mayon Volcano imminent

after the alert level was raised to 3?

How should the public prepare for this?

And later on, we have Queen Melo Esguerra and Marisa Summers of Drag Race Philippines.

They'll be joining us as we mark Pride Month.

But first, the headlines.

Today's big stories.

Evacuations for around 10,000 Albay residents begin today as the Mayon Volcano rumbles.

The ASEAN bloc set to conduct its first ever joint military drills in the South China Sea.

And suspected Chinese rocket debris recovered in the waters of Bataan.

Bright orange lava flow seen on the Mayon Volcano in the Philippine province of Albay Thursday night.

The latest unrest comes after authorities raised the volcano's alert level to 3,

signaling an increased likelihood of a hazardous eruption.

Irene Perol reports.

Bayan patroller Miriam Binlayo Boholano witnessed thick smoke coming from the crater of Mayon early Thursday morning.

This video was taken from their house in Barangay San Roque in Malilipot, Albay.

On the same day, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Mayon's alert status to level 3

after consecutively recording rockfall events and pre-volcanic earthquake for the past few days.

From June 5 to June 8, PHIVOLCS recorded a total of 267 rockfall events which usually indicate an eruption is imminent.

Pyroclastic density currents were also recorded in Bonga Gully, located in the southeast, and Basud Gully, in the eastern part of the volcano.

Most of the volcanic activities for the past few days consist of rockfall events.

Rocks are falling from the lava dome.

Earlier, we had three pyroclastic density currents.

This is due to the large impact of the lava dome.

That's why it's falling.

Alert level 3 means the volcano is at the critical stage and that magma is close to the crater or its mouth.

If we have this kind of volcanic hazard, it means we have hot magma or lava that is changing from the old rocks above Mayon.

There is a slow rate of extrusion of the lava coming out of the mouth of the volcano.

Because of this, PHIVOLCS has recommended the immediate evacuation for those inside the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Residents living within the 7- to 8-kilometer extended danger zone should also be prepared to evacuate.

Albay's cluster team conducted an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss and prepare for the possible eruption of Mayon volcano.

Approximately 2,400 families or around 10,000 individuals will be forced to evacuate starting Friday morning.

All government agencies are now on alert as the evacuation preparation is estimated to take up to two days.

Right now, any area inside the permanent danger zone is dangerous.

But right now, the preferred direction of the volcanic materials, where they are going, is to the south and southeast of the volcano.

The barangay in the upper slopes of Malid, Garaga, Gasping, etc.

Authorities say no people should be inside the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone since the volcano's alert level could be raised further.

In the meantime, the provincial government of Albay has allocated 30 million pesos in calamity fund as part of its preparations.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is also preparing relief packs that will be distributed to affected families.

The agency says it has 52,000 relief packs on hand and an additional 50,000 food packs are expected to arrive to feed evacuees.

Irene Perol, ABS-CBN News, Albay.

Joining us now this morning is the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, or PHIVOLCS, Dr. Teresito Bacolcol.

Dr. Bacolcol, good morning to you, sir.

Good morning to you, Ma'am Karen.

All right. I know that Mayon is now under alert level 3 and it is exhibiting what's described as magmatic eruption of a summit lava dome.

Can you please give us an overview as of this morning, what is and where is Mayon right now?

Okay, so between 5 a.m. yesterday and 5 a.m. today, we recorded 199 rockfall events, much higher than the 98 rockfall events that we detected between June 7 to June 8.

And yesterday, we recorded six pyroclastic density current events.

The pyroclastic density currents lasted for four to five minutes.

It's based on our seismic record and emplaced within two kilometers from the summit crater.

And so this would imply that there is a continuous supply of magma to the surface, dislodging old and new portions of the lava dome.

And last night also, we observed a crater glow, meaning there is a superheated gas coming out of the crater, which produced this glow.

Okay. So is it correct that a total that's been recorded is 267 rockfall events?

That's right. And between 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. last night to today, we recorded 116 rockfall events.

So that's quite a lot.

All right. So other than this data, we already have thousands of people being evacuated.

But based on your, in other words, based on the 2014 event, the 2018 event of Mayon, I wanted to ask you, what can we expect?

Okay. So again, the difference right now is that we are not seeing a high emission of sulfur dioxide.

So it's only around 300 tons per day. And in fact, it's lower than the normal background level of Mayon volcano, which is 500 tons per day.

So we are actually waiting. There are several parameters that we are trying to look at before we can raise it to alert level 4.

One would be the increase in sulfur dioxide. As I mentioned earlier, we only have 300 tons per day.

If there's an increase in sulfur dioxide, it would imply new magmites being intruded to the shallow part of the edifice.

And then we're also looking at the increase in seismicity. In fact, yesterday, zero volcanic earthquake was recorded.

Between June 5 to June 8, we only recorded two volcanic earthquakes. We are also looking at the edifice.

Hold that thought because you are giving a lot of scientific information. Let's put it down in layman's terms.

The fact that you said that you're not detecting sulfur dioxide, right? Did I hear that correctly?

So what does that exactly mean? Does this mean that if you don't detect a large amount of sulfur dioxide,

you said only right now at 300 tons per day, does this mean that there's a possibility that Mayon may not erupt?

That's right. That's right. Again, the difference right now is that we don't see a high amount of sulfur dioxide.

So we are actually hoping for a 2014 scenario, which is just rockfall events followed by a short lava flow and then it's stopped.

Hopefully, it will not go the way of the 2018 activity.

Where in the 2018 is a full eruption.

That's right. That's right.

Okay. So other than that, you said you did not record. Can you repeat that again? Did you say volcanic?

Earthquake.

Earthquake. Yes. What does that mean in layman's terms?

Again, a volcanic earthquake, if you have magma going up, it would produce low or if you have magmatic fluids or gas, volcanic gases going up,

it would produce low frequency volcanic earthquakes. But we're not seeing it here.

In fact, again, as I mentioned yesterday, we did not record any volcanic earthquake. And since June 5, we only recorded two volcanic earthquakes.

Okay. So to some degree, this is good news when it comes to residents living in the area.

And you were pointing out at another third description. What was that?

The edifice is inflating.

Okay.

It's inflating because if you have volcanic material that's pushing upwards, the edifice of the volcano, the sides would inflate.

And we are only seeing localized inflation, not the whole edifice.

Oh. And when you say localized inflation, what's inflated in Mayon?

It's only a certain part of Mayon Volcano.

Oh.

The whole edifice.

Okay. So right now, the action the government is taking, it's essentially evacuating residents. Is it necessary? I wanted to ask you.

Yes, it's necessary because, again, with Alert Level 3, we recommend people inside the six kilometer permanent danger zone.

Well, they're not supposed to be there because it's a permanent danger zone.

Exactly. Yeah.

But since we have no choice, I mean, people have no choice because they have to leave and probably do their farming.

We recommend that they should be evacuated because there might be a danger of pyroclastic density currents, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards, and there might be sudden eruption.

Okay. All right. Now, Doctor, can you describe the characteristics of Mayon? Why from 2014, 2018, and now 2023? I'm noticing there's a three to four year gap of activity, right?

Yes.

2018, right now 2023, put it to roughly five years, but we're seeing a few years and there's, I would describe activity, not minor activity, but major activity in Mayon. What is the cause?

Again, we have the magmites being replenished and Mayon volcano is actually, the earliest would be three years after the last eruption and the latest would be 10 years after the last eruption.

So, the last time it erupted was 2018 and it's been five years now. So, again, we're on the range, as I've said, between three to 10 years from the last eruption.

Okay. But can you describe to those watching who may not understand the science of this, which is already including myself, why is there a predictability of five years, 10 years? What happens specifically with Mayon?

Because once the volcano would erupt, it would extrude all the materials. And then, of course, there will be resupply of magmatic materials. So, that would probably take between three to 10 years.

Okay. And why is it that right now, Taal and Canlaon are also showing activity, but both remain at alert level one? Am I correct?

Oh, we lost him. Okay. We are going to go into a quick break. We lost PHIVOX, Dr. Teresito Bacolcol. We'll try to get him back. Stay with us.

Okay. We have with us this morning PHIVOX Director, Dr. Teresito Bacolcol. Dr. Bacolcol, we lost you there.

Yes. I apologize for that. They say that technology is good only if it works.

All right. So, I wanted to ask you, as we close, Taal and Canlaon are also showing activity, now both at alert level one.

Yes, that's right. That's right. Taal Volcano is still at alert level one. And Canlaon Volcano is on alert level one since 2020.

Okay. All right. So, Canlaon's been on alert level one since 2020. But is there any cause for alarm for those watching that it seems we have three volcanoes that's reported to be active at the moment, with Mayon being the most?

Well, we have 24 active volcanoes and there's always this possibility that one or two volcanoes would be restive and would show some activity simultaneously. So, this is not surprising.

And for Canlaon Volcano, again, as I've said, it has always been active on alert level one since 2020. And yesterday, we only record one low-frequency volcanic earthquake, which is lower than the nine volcanic earthquakes that we saw the day before.

Okay. All right. Dr. Bacol called back to Mayon. Is it possible then that Mayon may not erupt to levels like 2018? It may not undergo or experience a full eruption?

Yes, there is always this possibility because, as I've said, the big difference now is that we don't see a high emission of sulfur dioxide. But again, anything can happen. That's why we're closely monitoring Mayon Volcano. And if there are changes in the parameters, monitored parameters, then we will inform the public immediately.

On that note, I want to thank you for joining me today, PHIVOLCS Director, Dr. Teresito Bacol. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, ma'am, for having me here.

Thank you.