Tabang Sa Kabikolan

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2008-03-01T00:26:00.000-08:00

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bicol after typhoon reming

2006-12-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

here are some pictures i took yesterday. i joined a relief operation to magapo in tabaco city. i don't exactly know which pictures were took where. but for sure, these pictures were taken in and between legazpi and magapo, tabaco city.

i joined the relief operations of NCCP (national council of churches in the philippines) although there are some pictures taken with those volunteers of SOS Bicol and BMDR (bicol movement for disaster response). those volunteers are orgmates from UP Ibalon.

Helping Out Bicolanos

2006-12-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

Please help our kababayans in Bicol who's in dire need of your help. You may donate relief goods (canned food, used clothings, medicine, blanket, etc.). Boxes are located in all dorms and colleges. Also type SOS (space) BICOL and send it to 2948. Thanks! Please pass around.

- UP Ibalon: Tabang sa Kabikolan

Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

A man affected by mudslides from Mayon volcano during the Typhoon Durian walks towards his jeep in Legazpi City, Albay province, south of Manila, December 5, 2006. (Cheryl Ravelo/Reuters)

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Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

Motorcyclists pass by tilted poles caused by strong winds from Typhoon Durian in Catanduanes province, eastern Philippines, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares state of national calamity amid massive typhoon devastation in eastern Philippines where death tolls could exceed 1,000. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

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Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

A woman carries her son through the remains of their homes after Typhoon Durian lashed Catanduanes province, eastern Philippines, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares state of national calamity amid massive typhoon devastation in eastern Philippines where death tolls could exceed 1,000. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

[source]

Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:18:00.001-08:00

A man prepares his meal in the middle of all the rubble caused by Typhoon Durian in Catanduanes province, eastern Philippines on Sunday Dec. 3, 2006. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares state of national calamity amid massive typhoon devastation in eastern Philippines where death tolls could exceed 1,000. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

[source]

Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Residents retrieve materials from their house buried in mud after Typhoon Durian hit Legazpi City, south of Manila December 2, 2006. Distraught survivors searched piles of bodies for the faces of their loved ones in the central Philippines on Saturday after landslides triggered by Typhoon Durian left hundreds dead. (Cheryl Ravelo/Reuters)

[source]

Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

A woman washes her clothes outside her damaged house after Typhoon Durian hit Legazpi City, south of Manila December 2, 2006. Distraught survivors searched piles of bodies for the faces of their loved ones in the central Philippines on Saturday after landslides triggered by Typhoon Durian left hundreds dead. (Cheryl Ravelo/Reuters)

[source]

Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

A Philippine Airforce aerial shot shows houses damaged by Typhoon Durian in Albay province, south of Manila December 3, 2006. Villagers in the central Philippines buried their dead in mass graves on Friday after landslides and raging flood waters triggered by Typhoon Durian killed hundreds.

[source]

Typhoon Durian / Bagyong Reming

2006-12-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Workers clear a tree blocking a busy street after Typhoon Durian hit Batangas, south of Manila December 1, 2006. Typhoon Durian killed 146 people in the Philippines and there were fears the toll could climb after heavy rains and winds triggered landslides from a volcanic mountain, the head of the local Red Cross said on Friday. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

[source]

Typhoon Durian slams into northern Philippines

2006-12-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

By Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - Typhoon Durian slammed into the northern Philippines on Thursday, tearing up trees and leaving thousands stranded, but looked set to skirt Manila as it swept to the south of the capital of 12 million people.

The eastern island of Catanduanes, where the eye of the category 4 typhoon crossed the coast, was cut off after power companies halted operations and mobile phone signals died.

Villagers along the coast were urged to evacuate as disaster officials raised the alert level to maximum and warned of flash floods, landslides and storm surges from Durian, which was one notch below a category 5 "super typhoon."

"We expect these strong winds to blow until early evening," said Jesse Robredo, mayor of Naga City in the Bicol region. "The winds are uprooting trees and causing roofs to fly."

Durian, packing winds of up to 190 kph (120 mph) and gusts of 225 kph (140 mph), was expected to hit resort areas in Batangas province and Mindoro island, south of the capital, before weakening as it moved west into the South China Sea.

"There was a big change in direction," said weather services chief Nathaniel Cruz. "Manila will no longer be a direct hit."

Still, Cruz warned the capital's residents to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds.

Named after a pungent and spiky Asian fruit, Durian is the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in three months.

In September, 213 people were killed when Typhoon Xangsane battered the north and center of the country, leaving millions without electricity or running water for days.

Xangsane also killed dozens in Vietnam but it was unclear whether Durian would hit that country after the Philippines.

STORM DAMAGE

Luzon island, where Manila is located, is the country's most populated region, its business hub and the main growing area for rice and coconuts.

The recent run of typhoons damaged crops, transport links and power lines, dragging down third-quarter economic growth.

There were concerns about electricity supplies in the wake of Durian as Batangas province is home to three generation plants that serve the capital and surrounding areas.

But First Gen Corp, owner of two of the plants, said there were no plans for a shutdown and that the company was ready for an emergency.

The third plant is owned by a joint venture of National Power Corp and Korea Electric and Power Corp.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell, said its refinery in Batangas that processes 110,000 barrels of oil per day would continue running despite the typhoon.

Northwest Airlines canceled flights to Japan and some domestic air travel was cut. Ferry passengers were stranded south of Manila after the coast guard ordered vessels to port.

Children were given the day off school in Manila and surrounding provinces on Thursday, with the heavy weather likely to disrupt travel plans over a long holiday weekend.

Storms regularly hit the Philippines. In the worst disaster in recent years, more than 5,000 people died on the central island of Leyte in 1991 in floods triggered by a typhoon.

In 2004, a series of storms left about 1,800 people dead or missing, including 480 who were killed when mudslides buried three towns in Quezon, an eastern province.

[source]

Typhoon Durian kills 198 in Philippines

2006-12-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines - The fourth major typhoon to hit the Philippines in four months killed 198 people and left 260 others missing, officials said Friday.

Typhoon Durian caused flash floods and sent walls of muddy volcanic ash and red-hot boulders crashing down on several villages, the officials said.

The national Office of Civil Defense reported 198 people were killed and 260 were missing. Fernando Gonzalez, governor of worst-hit Albay province, said the figures included 109 people who died in mudslides on the slopes of the Mayon volcano that also injured 130.

"The disaster covered almost every corner of this province — rampaging floods, falling trees, damaged houses," Gonzalez said.

With power and phone lines downed by powerful winds, helicopters were carrying out aerial surveillance of cutoff areas. Officials estimated that the storm affected some 22,000 people.

The magnitude of the destruction hampered relief operations.

"Our rescue teams are overstretched rescuing people on rooftops," said Glen Rabonza, head of the national Office of Civil Defense.

Gonzalez said seven or eight villages had been hit by the wet lava flows that rumbled down Mayon's slopes for three hours Thursday.

"It happened very rapidly and many people did not expect this because they haven't experienced mud flows in those areas before," Gonzalez said. "By the time they wanted to move, the rampaging mud flows were upon them."

On Friday, people were digging foundations for new homes, hammering tin sheets onto leaking roofs and drying pillows, mattresses and clothes in the sun.

"The wind was extremely strong," said Domingo Billares, sitting beside his wife in the town of Ragay, in Camarines Sur province, where the wooden frame was the only thing left of their home. "We thought we would not survive through the day."

Undersecretary Dr. Graciano Yumul of the Department of Science and Technology said the storm was particularly damaging because it came ashore Thursday in Catanduanes, an island province with no mountains to break the storm's momentum.

"So it really destroyed the island that it hit," Yumul said. "That is the reason you are seeing the kind of destruction you are seeing right now.

Noel Rosal, mayor of Legazpi city, the capital of Albay province, visited Padang and said three of the five communities comprising the village of 1,400 people had been "wiped out" with only the roofs of several houses jutting out of the debris.

Rosal said Padang can only be reached by foot or motorcycle because a bridge linking it to Legazpi, about six miles away, was damaged.

He said the mudslide occurred Thursday afternoon as the city was lashed by Durian. His own residence was under water that was "higher than a person" from a flash flood.

"I was almost a goner. I had to swim," Rosal said.

Jukes Nunez of the Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council said many communities were still flooded Friday morning.

"The request for rescue is overwhelming. The disaster managers are victims themselves," he said.

Durian — the fourth to "super typhoon" to hit the Philippines in as many months — was packing sustained winds of 121 mph and gusts of up to 139 mph, the weather bureau said. By Friday, the typhoon weakened as it moved north of Mindoro island south of Manila with sustained winds of 94 mph and gusts of up to 116 mph as it headed toward the South China Sea.

In late September, Typhoon Xangsane left 230 people dead and missing in and around Manila. Typhoon Cimaron killed 19 people and injured 58 others last month, and earlier this month, Chebi sliced through the central Luzon region, killing one.

About 20 typhoons and tropical storms hit the Philippines each year.

[source]

The Philippines - Typhoon Durian: First calling operations for survivors. TSF keeps rescue teams online in Catanduanes

2006-12-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

TSF started, on Friday, its first humanitarian calling operations for affected populations in Virac on Catanduanes Island. All telephone networks are destroyed (landlines and GSM) and according to local operators they should not be re-established before mid-December. 188 families (approximately 800 people) have been put in contact with a loved one, either in the Philippines or abroad, to give news on the situation for the first time since Typhoon Durian hit the country. Affected families have also been able to request personalized assistance and notably money. In total, TSF offered more than 11 hours of satellite based communications. 95% of families calling had their house destroyed by the typhoon. 57 families (30%) called abroad. According to our head of mission, reached over Inmarsat Mini M satellite terminal, there were so many families wanting to make a call that some had to wait for nearly an hour. To cover all the needs TSF will be operating in Virac for the several days. In addition, TSF recruited 7 additional local volunteers to run its operations.dditional local volunteers to run its operations.

The latest toll published by the National Disaster Coordinating Centre (NDCC, Philippines Civil Protection) on Friday announced 34 392 families (146 405 people) affected on Catanduanes island for a total population of 215 356.

In TSF's Telecom Centre in Virac, 13 relief organizations are benefiting from our Internet satellite connections, phone and fax lines and from our technical assistance. The total number of relief workers using our centre on Friday was of 24. The Telecom Centre enables rescue teams to send updated assessments on the situation, to better respond to survivors' needs and also to follow in real time the path of the new typhoon which should hit the Philippines in the coming hours. The authorities of the Philippines are indeed very concerned for the survivors of Typhoon Durian left without shelter and protection.

The TSF team is notably composed of a volunteer from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). On December 1st, TSF and AIT signed a partnership to collaborate in emergencies in Asia. TSF is ready to send more teams from its regional base in Bangkok and headquarters in France, depending on the needs.

NDCC announced on Tuesday the toll reaches 1 266 killed and over 1.5 million affected in the Philippines' entire archipelago. Another typhoon is heading for the Philippines and could be hitting Catanduanes within the next 24 hours.

Since the beginning of the year, this is the second time TSF deploys to the Philippines. In February, TSF intervened on Leyte island following the heavy mudslide which killed 1 000. It is also the eight mission of TSF in 2006 after Bolivia, The Philippines, Niger, Suriname, Indonesia-Java, Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[source]

Typhoon Durian kills 109 in Philippines

2006-12-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Durian tore through the eastern Philippines on Thursday with winds of up to 139 mph, killing at least 109 people and cutting off power to thousands of homes, officials said.

Dozens of people were missing, and 200 body bags were being shipped to the disaster zone at the request of provincial officials.

With power and phone lines downed by powerful winds, helicopters were carrying out aerial surveillance of cut-off areas.

"Our rescue teams are overstretched rescuing people on rooftops," said Glen Rabonza, head of the national Office of Civil Defense.

[source]

Typhoon Durian kills 146 people in Philippines

2006-12-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

By Manny Mogato

MANILA (Reuters) - Typhoon Durian killed 146 people in the Philippines and there were fears the toll could climb after heavy rains and winds triggered landslides from a volcanic mountain, the head of the local Red Cross said on Friday.

Villages close to Mount Mayon, around 200 miles south of Manila, were covered in mud and rocks after Durian dislodged mounds of volcanic debris from its slopes.

"Our initial reports showed a total of 146 people were killed in three areas buried by mudslides," Richard Gordon told Reuters, adding that 75 people were still missing across Albay province.

He said the number of casualties was likely to rise as disaster reports came in from other provinces in the central Bicol region where power and communication blackouts as well as impassable roads were hampering rescue efforts.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the military to assist medical teams in reaching submerged villages and disaster agencies called for water supplies, medicines and body bags.

One of the Philippines' most active volcanoes, Mayon raised fears of a major eruption in August after months of spewing lava and boulders.

The area around the mountain was bathed in sunshine on Friday, just hours after torrential rain and winds of up to 225 kph (140 mph) tore through the area.

"That's the only thing beautiful today that we've been able to experience," Albay Governor Fernando Gonzales said, referring to the sunny weather.

DESTRUCTION

Durian left a trail of destruction across the central and northern Philippines, affecting nearly 22,000 people as flooding and storm winds damaged homes, grounded planes and halted sea travel. Scores were injured.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said farmers had suffered around 500 million pesos ($10 million) in losses after Durian swept through the coconut, rice and hemp-growing region. Crop damage from previous typhoons dragged down third quarter economic growth.

Durian, which was one notch below a category 5 "super typhoon" when it crashed into the Southeast Asian archipelago on Thursday, has now moved into the South China Sea and is expected to weaken into a tropical storm over the next few days as it approaches Vietnam.

On the island of Marinduque, trees were uprooted, lamp posts wrenched out and roofs swept from homes.

"It's the worst in our history. Almost all houses were damaged by the typhoon in the province," Congressman Edmund Reyes said on local radio.

Australia's Lafayette Mining Ltd said operations at its gold mine in Albay province had been interrupted by the typhoon and requested a halt in the trading of its shares to give it time to assess the damage. It will give an update on December 4.

The typhoon skirted Manila, where offices and schools were closed for a national holiday.

Named after a pungent and spiky Asian fruit, Durian is the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in 3 months. Forecasters expect there will be one more typhoon before year end.

In September, 213 people were killed when Typhoon Xangsane battered the north and center of the country, leaving millions without electricity or running water for days.

Xangsane also killed dozens in Vietnam.

Illegal logging and mining raises the risk of mudslides during the Philippine typhoon season. In the worst disaster in recent years, more than 5,000 people died on the central island of Leyte in 1991 in floods triggered by a typhoon.

[source]

Mayon Planetarium Also In Danger Zone

2006-07-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

By Gil Francis G. Arevalo (Inquirer)
Last updated 01:41am (Mla time) 07/20/2006

FOR students and tourists who wish to enjoy a “heaven on earth” experience while learning all about the majestic Mount Mayon, the Mayon planetarium is a perfect destination.

The facility, built on the volcano’s slope 854 meters above sea level, offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, San Miguel Island, Curangon Shoal, Mount Malinao (another volcano within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire), nearby towns and lakes, and of course, the famous Mayon skyline.

It also features slide shows or presentations of the volcano’s activities for the past centuries.

But the tourist and educational attraction, also known as the Virtual Mayon Simulation and Observatory Facility, also faces Mayon’s fury when it erupts. It lies within the 6-km permanent danger zone.

Alex Baloloy, science research analyst of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the 1,000-sq m planetarium compound is in the northeast quadrant of the volcano, identified as one of the critical areas in case of a major eruption.

Since the early 1990s, major eruptions have inflicted the greatest destruction in terms of casualties in the northeast and southeast quadrants.

“We can never really tell what particular portions will be affected or spared in case we raise the alert level to 4 or 5. Mayon Planetarium is one of the areas that will be directly hit by pyroclastic flows and lava trickles,” Baloloy said.

An alert level 4 or 5 means the permanent danger zone should be completely cleared of residents.

Since it opened in March, the planetarium has become one of the most-sought places to visit in Tabaco City. Aside from schools in Albay, institutions from neighboring provinces have also conducted educational tours there.

The Philippine Tourism Authority and the Department of Science and Technology highly recommended the facility early this year to be one of the pioneering educational sites in the region.

The one-story planetarium has four rooms housing the library, the virtual room, a mini-museum and an audiovisual hall.

It was constructed just 61 meters above the popular Mayon Skyline Hotel and Convention Center, which used to be known as the Mayon Rest House, according to city engineer Juan Berces.

“We considered both the challenge and the danger of building it there, but in cases like the declaration of alert level 3 status, of course, it is advisable for people not to go there. The fact is that Mayon does not erupt all the time and we are always coordinating with the Phivolcs, as well as the Tabaco City Disaster Coordinating Council as far as the status of Mayon is concerned,” Berces said.

Despite the possible danger, he added, many students and tourists are very eager to reach the place and enjoy a clear view of Mayon.

“It may look as if we’re not serious about what’s going on now, but we believe that being at the planetarium provides us an opportunity to experience the thrill and excitement of witnessing the actual eruption of Mt. Mayon,” said Ruben Barcoma, 19, a student and mountain climber from Tabaco.

Resident volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta cautioned that it would be better not to visit the place at this time because of the unpredictable behavior of Mayon.

[Source]

100 Villagers Near Restive Mayon Flee Homes

2006-07-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Inquirer
Last updated 07:43pm (Mla time) 07/20/2006

STO. DOMINGO, Albay – (UPDATE) About 100 residents of two villages fled their homes Thursday morning in apparent panic as fragments of lava rolled down the slopes of Mayon Volcano, raising clouds of volcanic ash that strong winds blew toward the town of Sto. Domingo, officials said.

Mushroom clouds of ash shot up into the sky starting around 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT Wednesday), sending farmers running for safety as parents took their children home from school.

Eduardo Laguerta, from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the ash clouds were caused by the collapse and disintegration of superheated lava mounds several kilometers (miles) from the crater of the 2,474-meter (8,118-foot) volcano.

He said anyone nearby could suffocate or be severely burned.

Lava and red-hot boulders have been trickling down Mayon since it came to life Friday in a "mild and quiet" eruption, which could continue for weeks, volcanologists said.

The government has declared a no-go area in a six-kilometer (3.75-mile) zone around the crater, but several thousands still live and farm within the area and cannot be forced out until there is an official mandatory evacuation order.

Romeo Cabria, action officer of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council, said the fleeing residents of the villages of Lidong and San Isidro, could have been alarmed by the ash cloud they saw heading toward their place.

He said the residents were brought to the municipal gymnasium but the local government planned to send them back to their homes as the alert level to warrant evacuation had not yet been reached.

"It was not yet the impending major blast,” said Laguerta. “The ash cloud did not come from the crater but from the lava fragments that collapsed downslope."

Seismographs recorded 404 tremors during the past 24 hours compared to Wednesday’s 250, which Phivolcs said can be associated with increasing lava extrusion, rockfalls, and detaching lava fragments.

The sulfur dioxide emission, which Laguerta said is one of the indicators of surfacing magma, was relatively higher than the normal level at 1,863 tons per day yesterday.

Jukes Nuñez of the Provincial Disaster oordinating Council said no evacuation was ordered yet because the alert level remained at three. However, he said, classes were suspended in Lidong and San Isidro because of the feared ash fall.

Farmer Eladio Echaluce, 85, said he was working in his field at Matanag village on the volcano's southeastern slope, when he heard a shout and saw someone pointing to a cloud of ash.

"When I saw the cloud, I got scared and came down," he said.

Another farmer, Loreto Aydaya, rushed along carrying a sack of vegetables and leading his two water buffalos.

"I was scared because I was about a kilometer (mile) away," he said.

School teacher Jenny Perez said parents rushed to the Matanag Elementary School to get their children.

"I could not do anything, so I just dismissed my class," she said.

Other residents packed bags and kitchen utensils and waited on the roadside or inside their homes for village officials' signal to evacuate.

In Lidong village in nearby Santo Domingo town, some residents were told to leave.

Alvin Rodriguez said he was worried that his family, especially his three young children, would be overwhelmed by the ash fall.

Mayon is one of the Philippines' 22 active volcanos. Its most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79 people.

The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

[Source]

Mayon On Throes Of Hazardous Eruption

2006-07-20T00:57:00.001-07:00

FLAMING mud and rocks the size of a car cascaded from the slopes of Mayon volcano yesterday, raising the risk of a hazardous eruption, a volcanologist said.

"We’ve observed heightened activities in the volcano," said resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta. "From 6 a.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday, our instruments recorded a total of 111 volcanic tremors, a significant increase from Friday to Saturday’s 22."

Laguerta said lava was seeping out of the summit of the 2,462-meter volcano forming an elongated mass to about 800 meters downslope.

The lava flow deposited a stream of incandescent molten rocks along Mayon’s upper and middle slopes, about 3 km from the summit.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the increase in lava extrusion rate was also accompanied by an increase in sulfur dioxide emission, from the previous 1,251 tons per day to about 2,211 tons per day measured Saturday morning.

A 6-km danger zone was imposed around Mayon, but was widened to 7 km on the southeast slope, facing Legazpi City and Sto. Domingo town, due to the risks of lava flow.

"If the activities continued in the next few days, we may upgrade the alert level to 4, which means a hazardous eruption is imminent within hours to days," said Laguerta, adding they have also recorded increased sulfuric gas emissions.

Thousands of people in six towns in Albay packed their belongings as they prepared to flee their farms and homes due to increased volcanic activities in the last 24 hours that prompted authorities to raise the alert level to 3 on Friday.

About 60,000 people in Albay will be evacuated in the event of a major eruption, disaster official Cedric Daep said on Saturday.

"At this stage, except for ashfalls, the major hazards of rockfalls, lava flow and small rock avalanches all occur within the six kilometer-radius permanent danger zone," Phivolcs said.

Malacañang urged the public to keep out of the danger zone.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye gave the assurance the National Disaster Coordinating Council and local government units are on top of all disaster preparedness measures.

"Preparedness and coordination between the concerned government agencies, the local government units, as well as the communities in the area would be the key in maintaining a zero-casualty rate in the event that a major eruption occurs," he said.

Mayon volcano showed abnormal activity last month and spewed ashes on Thursday, covering homes in Malilipot town. When lava trickled from its crater late on Friday, authorities raised the alert level to 3 from 1.

At level 3, a dangerous hazardous explosion is considered possible; at 4 it is seen as likely and at 5, the highest alert, an eruption has occurred with lava flows or ash columns reaching 6 km.

Phivolcs has been watching Bulusan volcano in nearby Sorsogon province after it spewed ash and vented steam in March. Last month, volcanologists raised the alert level there to 2.

The Philippines lies on the "Ring of Fire," a belt of volcanoes that circles the Pacific Ocean, which is also prone to earthquakes.

Mayon, among the 22 active volcanoes in the country. has erupted around 50 times over the past 400 years. The most destructive eruption came in February 1841 when lava flows buried a town and killed 1,200 people.

The last time Mayon erupted was in 2000-2001. – Reinir Padua, Jocelyn Montemayor and Reuters

[Source]

Mayon Remains A Threat — Phivolcs

2006-07-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

By Ed De Leon, Jen Jorvina, and Madel Sabater

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday warned the public that volcanic explosions and life-threatening pyroclastic flows still remain a possibility as rockfalls and lava flow continue in the vicinity of the restive Mayon volcano.

"Explosions are still very possible and the probability of life-threatening pyroclastic flows resulting from an explosive eruption remain high," Phivolcs said.

A pyroclastic flow is a volcanic hazard described as a trigger-directed blast forming hot rocks and gases down the volcano’s slopes.

According to Phivolcs, 250 tremor events had been recorded in Mayon during its 24-hour observation period, higher than the other day’s 100 short duration harmonic tremors.

The volcano’s sulfur oxide emission also escalated to 2,157 tonnes per day (t/d), which is "to be expected from an ongoing eruptive activity," Phivolcs said.

The institute also disclosed that lava flow in Bonga Gulley, the southeastern sector of the volcano, had been at 1,200 meters elevation or a little less than three kilometers (kms) from the crater as of press time.

"Lava fragments detaching from the flowing lava have reached farther downslope about four kms or more from the crater," the institute said.

Phivolcs, however, assured that all flows and rockfall activity are "occurring well within the six-km Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ)."

Phivolcs said Alert Level 3 is still hoisted over Mayon volcano, adding that the public is still barred from the six-km PDZ, except for the volcano’s southeast sector or the Bonga Gulley, where a seven-km PDZ had been imposed.

"The crater is lowest at the southeast stream," Solidum said.

Meanwhile, in Legazpi City, Albay, boulders of Mayon volcano as big as houses are seen trapped at its mid-section, some four kilometers from the crater or approximately estimated 3,000 meters at elevation 700 meters above sea level in Bonga Gulley.

"It is very dangerous for these boulders to stay at the mid-section of the volcano because the lava continues to push down the boulders towards Bonga Gulley," an official of the Phivolcs said yesterday during an inspection at the Bonga Gulley.

At the inspection with media, Phivolcs said that boulders as big as houses and lava fragments have reached further down the slope of Mayon volcano, about four kilometers below the crater. These boulders will go down to the Bonga Gulley when it rains hard.

The Phivolcs said that all flows and rockfall activities are occurring well within the six-kilometer radius PDZ, adding that light ash falls derived mainly from the lava fragments may be experienced over areas beyond the PDZ due to prevailing winds.

The Phivolcs said that there are some 13.9 million cubic meters of volcanic debris around the slopes of Mayon.

Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Mayon. Residents were advised to be vigilant against explosive eruptions and to be prepared for evacuation any time.

[Source]

1993 Eruption Left Imprint On Slope Dwellers

2006-07-20T00:56:00.001-07:00

By Rhaydz B. Barcia, Correspondent

Legazpi City: Mario Miña was tending his farm in Matanag, a village on the southeast slope of Mount Mayon, in February 1993 when the volcano unleashed a torrent of lava in a spectacular eruption.

Mario didn’t have time to escape. He and 76 other farmers died that day.

Thirteen years later, his son, Romar, only has a photo of his father to remember him by. Romar was just 18 months old then.

On Saturday, as the volcano showed signs of blowing again, Romar visited a concrete marker topped by a white cross where his father and the other victims of the 1993 eruption were buried.

Antonio Alcera, 55, the village chieftain of Matanag, told The Manila Times that the fatalities came from the villages of Matanag, Buyuan, Mabinit and Bonga.

“It’s heartbreaking because every time Mayon erupts, I think of my father’s fate and I’m completely terrified,” Romar, now a fifth grader at the Matanag Elementary School, told The Times.

From the marker, Romar led The Times to his home to show the picture of his father. “This is my precious keepsake,” he said in the local dialect. His mother, Rosie, has since remarried. Romar lives with her and his stepfather and three other siblings.

Veronica Perez, 73, survived Mayon’s fury in 1993 but lost her husband, Federico, and her youngest son, Rafael.

“I was harvesting our sweet potato and we were able to collect at least three sacks. My husband arrived, bringing our lunch. We were eating when I heard a deafening sound. I thought a plane had crashed.”

A few minutes later Veronica said her body was swept by a surge of hot air. She felt a burning on her back. Hot ash and rocks were falling all over the place.

“Rafael rescued me. Unfortunately he was hit by molten rocks,” she said.

Veronica carries a unique and painful memento of that day. There is a scar on her back that eerily resembles Mayon’s cone shape. She said that whenever the volcano is restive, she feels the scar heats up.

In 2000 a total of 3,047 families resided in the 10 villages at the foot of the volcano declared a danger zone by authorities. The latest count showed only 1,484 families remain.

The holdouts are in the municipalities of Malilipot, Daraga, Camalig, Ligao and in Tabaco City.

Residents of Mabinit and nearby areas told The Times that when the volcano is restive they’re worried but they could not leave the slopes because they have farms there.

Residents living in Albay face another threat. Heavy and continuous rain could turn the 60 million tons of volcanic materials left on Mayon’s from the 2000 and 2001 eruptions into a deadly cascade of lahar.

Mayon Volcano has a major eruption every 5 to 10 years, and each eruption disrupts the economic growth of the rural communities around it.

About 65,000 to 83,000 people are directly affected by a major eruption. A prolonged eruption can affect more than 114,000 people. Agricultural activities are active in the area such as vegetable farming, animal raisings, copra making and ornamental-plant picking.

Since 1616 the volcano has erupted over 50 times. The worst was on February 1, 1814, when more than 1,200 people were killed and the towns of Camalig, Cagsawa and Budiao and half of Guinobatan were left in ruins.

[Source]

Mayon In ‘Quiet’ Eruption; Evacuation Centers Readied

2006-07-20T00:56:00.000-07:00

AUTHORITIES stockpiled food and prepared evacuation centers in Legazpi City Saturday, after lava began trickling down the slopes of Mayon Volcano in a “quiet eruption.”

Low clouds were obscuring the sight of the almost-perfect cone on the 2,474-meter mountain, and officials said they won’t order any evacuations yet as they braced themselves for a possible violent eruption that may take weeks.

“A hazardous eruption is possible. We don’t know when, maybe within weeks,” Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said late Friday. “It is a quiet eruption as of now.”

Authorities upgraded the alert level around the volcano to 3, two notches below the highest level.

“Once the alert level goes to 4, the danger zone will be extended to 7 kilometers around Mayon,” said Cedric Daep, a regional disaster-relief official in Albay province.

He said that disaster-relief officials were stockpiling food and putting evacuation centers on standby to see “what needs to be repaired or added.”

Eduardo Laguerta, the government’s resident volcanologist, said on Saturday that Mayon continued to push lava fragments down its northeastern slopes, at the lowest portion of the crater.

About 50 volcanic earthquakes also had been recorded over the past two days, he said.

The government maintains a six-kilometer “permanent danger zone” around the peak, but many residents still live on or farm the slopes of the country’s most famous volcano.

On March 22 1,484 families were in the danger zone.

If the situation worsens the zone will be widened to 8 km and 3,907 more families will be evacuated.

In the worst case, the danger zone will be extended to 10 km, which will require the evacuation of 8,479 more families.

Gov. Fernando Gonzalez of Albay said the municipal mayors will handle the evacuation.

Rico Azuris, 42, resident of Buyuan village in Legazpi, told The Manila Times that his family did not sleep Friday night, fearing Mayon might blow.

“We experienced at least two eruption episodes during the night,” Azuris said.

Mayon, one of the country’s 22 active volcanos, last came to life in a series of eruptions in 2001, forcing the evacuation of about 50,000 people. It has erupted about 50 times since 1616.

Mayon’s most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried an entire town in volcanic mud. An eruption in 1993 killed 79 people.

Bulusan Volcano, about 50 kilometers south of Mayon, has ejected ash in about five minor explosions since March.

In June 1991 Mount Pinatubo exploded in Zambales in one of the world’s biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.
--AP and Rhaydz B. Barcia

[Source]

‘Mayon’s Big Bang Likely To Happen In Two Weeks’

2006-07-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

By Rhaydz B. Barcia, Correspondent

Legazpi City: The oozing snakelike lava flow from Mount Mayon’s crater has reached 800 meters down slope or just a few kilometers away from the six-kilometer radius of the permanent danger zone. There, up to now, farmers keep on tilling their farms waiting for more definitive signs that the volcano will really explode.

This situation has made the military in Bicol reactivate “Task Force Mayon” to quickly move to rescue people in trouble as soon as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raises the alert to level 4, which demands that all be evacuated out of the danger zone.

Arsenio Arugay, commanding general of the Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade based in Villahermosa Daraga, Albay, told The Manila Times that it was Lt. Gen. Pedro Cabuay, Southern Luzon commanding general, who reactivated “Task Force Mayon.”

Arugay said an augmentation force of one army battalion will be deployed in Albay.

That force will assist during evacuation with rescue and relief operations as well as provide security in coordination with the Philippine National Police, Arugay said.

Ernesto Corpuz, Phivolcs volcano monitoring eruption chief, told The Times, “Within two weeks a big bang is likely to occur. This is based on the parameters being exhibited by the volcano.”

A continuous stream of incandescent materials toward Bonga gully was observed at the volcano from 6:43 Sunday night until 3:58 Monday morning following the flow of detached materials coming from advancing lava from the summit.

The rolling incandescent materials and advancing lava were accompanied by 314 tremor episodes recorded by the seismic network during the past observation period. This was significantly more than 111 tremor episodes recorded yesterday. No explosive quake has been recorded since 6 this morning.

The sulfur dioxide (S02) emission rate of the volcanic plume was measured at 1,513 tons a day yesterday compared with 2,211 on July 15. The increased seismic activity, relatively fast lava extrusion rate and high S02 reading indicated the heightened unrest of the volcano, which could lead to eruption.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay Provincial Public Safety and Management Office, told The Times that everything is ready once Mount Mayon blows up.

Daep is constantly meeting with the municipal disaster coordination officials in Albay to countercheck the group’s preparations.

Alert level 3 remains in effect at Mayon, which means that residents within the 8-kilometer-radius PDZ and just beyond the PDZ, especially in the southeast portion facing the Bonga gully, should be vigilant against explosive eruption since major hazards like rockfalls, lava flow and small rock avalanches all occur within these areas.

Residents near areas facing the Bonga gully in the southeast portion of the volcano and within 7 kilometers at the crater are advised to be prepared for evacuation.

Mayon Volcano continued to display restiveness as more lava came out of its summit.
--With Mark Ivan Roblas

[Source]

Mayon Ready To Blow

2006-07-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

THE flow of lava from Mayon has increased, a sign of greater unrest inside the volcano, officials warned on Sunday.

The increase in the flow of lava has been accompanied by a rise in the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted by Mayon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in its latest advisory.

“One likely scenario is a shift from lava extrusion to explosive eruption,” the institute warned, saying this would be accompanied by deadly mudflows of volcanic ash.

The government is maintaining its six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone around the volcano where no one is supposed to enter, Phivolcs said.

However, local officials and residents said that some farmers were continuing to farm the fertile slopes around Mayon despite the warning.

“Our farmers in the six-kilometer danger zone should stop for awhile and not enter there because we never know what will happen. There could be a sudden eruption,” said Noel Rosal, the mayor of Legazpi City.

Rosal said in a radio interview that even wild animals such as boars and snakes were descending from Mayon and that springs on the lower slopes of the mountain were drying up, all of which were “a bad sign.”

The 2,462-meter volcano, famous for its near-perfect cone shape, began oozing lava on Friday.

Alert level three of the five-step alert system has been in force around Mayon. This means that there is “relatively high unrest” in the volcano with volcanic quakes and tremors expected to become frequent ahead of an eruption.

The volcano last had a major eruption in July 2001.

More than 1,000 people are believed to have perished when the volcano erupted in 1814.

Phivolcs said the increase in the lava extrusion rate was accompanied by a rise in sulfur dioxide emissions.

The emissions increased from 1,251 tons a day to 2, 211 tons a day as of Sunday, it said.

“The avalanching lava has formed an elongated mass from the summit to about 800 meters down slope,” Phivolcs said.

“At this stage, except for ashfalls, the major hazards of rockfalls, lava flow and small rock avalanches all occur within the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone,” it said.
--AFP and Mark Ivan Roblas

[Source]

Volcano Puts On A Fiery Display

2006-07-20T00:53:00.001-07:00

Mayon’s mild eruption continued at dawn Wednesday, marked by a fiery shower of lava fragments that fell up to four kilometers below the crater.

Rescue officials warned farmers to leave the fertile slopes of the 2,462-meter volcano as it spewed lava for a fifth straight day amid fears of a major eruption.

“We are worried about the people who remain in the permanent danger zone. There are livestock in there as well,” said Angel Capili, Regional Disaster Coordinating Council official, after surveying Mayon from the air early Wednesday.

Capili said the farmers within the zone would be “forcibly” removed from the area if volcanologists determine that an explosive eruption is imminent.

He gave no estimate of the number of people who remain within the seven- kilometer danger zone around the crater.

No evacuations have been ordered outside the zone, but Ed Laguerta, a volcanologist, said an explosive eruption could threaten the lives or properties of up to 70,000 people, including residents on the outskirts of Legazpi City.

“Seismic activity has apparently resumed to high levels,” suggesting lava extrusion and rock falls, the government’s seismology institute said in its latest advisory.

“At this stage Mayon continues its mild eruption with little or no explosions,” it said. “The public, however, is reminded that explosions are still very possible and the probability of life-threatening pyroclastic flows resulting from an explosive eruption remains high.”

These flows refer to superheated dust and rocks that travel down a volcano’s flanks at great speeds during an explosive eruption.

Mayon is one of 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines. It has erupted 47 times in recorded history, including in 1814, when it buried the town of Cagsawa, killing an estimated 1,000 residents. Mayon’s most recent major eruption was in 2001.

The lava continued to trickle into the Bonga Gully, about halfway up the mountain. At night the lava trickles resembled veins running down Mayon’s slope.

Bonga forms a natural basin for the lava. Once full it could spill over its fiery flow, which could threaten the towns of Santo Domingo and Daraga and the outskirts of Legazpi City.

On Wednesday the provincial council of Albay, led by Vice Governor Jesus Calisin, declared the municipalities of Santo Domingo, Malilipot, Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga and the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao in a state of calamity.

Along with the lava flow, about 250 tremors were recorded in Mayon Wednesday, about double the number Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

Phivolcs also reported a rise in sulfur-dioxide emission, to 2,157 tons a day Wednesday from 1,513 last Sunday.

Officials had warned a major eruption is likely within weeks.

Alert Level 3 remained in force around the volcano, and the Office of Civil Defense said 1,484 families may be evacuated if the level is raised to 4.

Thirty-five schoolbuildings have been designated as evacuation centers.
--Rhaydz B. Barcia, Julio Munar and AFP

[Source]

Mayon’s Lahar Could Be Worse Than Pinatubo’s -- Phivolcs

2006-07-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

By Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)
Last updated 08:45pm (Mla time) 07/19/2006

LEGAZPI CITY -- Mayon Volcano's lahar could be more dangerous than that
of Mt. Pinatubo, which swamped thousands of houses in Central Luzon in 1991, because of Mayon’s big boulders, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said here.

Senior science research specialist and resident volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta said lahar coming from Mayon will likely contain massive boulders, which can crush structures in their path.

Lahar and pyroclastic flows are the two major hazards of a Mayon eruption that Albayanos should brace for, he said.

Laguerta said pyroclastic flows from past eruptions usually affected areas within the six-to-seven-kilometer permanent danger zone only, but there have been instances when they went beyond this area.

"What we have to invest more money (for) prevention is (in) lahar since it is a long term…hazard in any volcano. In Pinatubo, for instance, it took around 10 years before it subsided," Laguerta said.

What is dangerous about lahar, he said, is that it can devastate areas up to 20 kilometers away depending on the volume of volcanic ash deposits and rainfall.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs said lava continued to flow down the Bonga Gully, traveling nearly three kilometers from Mayon’s crater.

Lava fragments detaching from the main flow reached up to a kilometer farther downslope.

Seismic activity remained at high levels and Phivolcs warned that explosions were possible and the probability of life-threatening pyroclastic flows remained high.

"As time progresses, there is lesser time we have to wait before an explosive eruption occurs," Laguerta said.

Provincial engineer Dante Baclao said that based on their assessment, there were problems in the 35 evacuation centers in eight affected municipalities like faulty roofing, problems in the water system and lack of toilets.

[Source]

Villagers Leave Homes Near Erupting Mayon Volcano

2006-07-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
Last updated 11:32am (Mla time) 07/20/2006

LEGAZPI -- Villagers living near the Philippines' Mayon volcano were evacuating or preparing to leave early Thursday, spooked by several ash explosions on the slopes of the lava-spilling mountain.

Mushroom clouds of ash shot up into the sky starting around 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT Wednesday), sending farmers running for safety as parents took their children home from school.

Eduardo Laguerta, from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the ash clouds were caused by the collapse and disintegration of superheated lava mounds several kilometers (miles) from the crater of the 2,474-meter (8,118-foot) volcano.

He said anyone nearby could suffocate or be severely burned.

Lava and red-hot boulders have been trickling down Mayon since it came to life Friday in a "mild and quiet" eruption, which could continue for weeks, volcanologists said.

The government has declared a no-go area in a six-kilometer (3.75-mile) zone around the crater, but several thousands still live and farm within the area and cannot be forced out until there is an official mandatory evacuation order.

Farmer Eladio Echaluce, 85, said he was working in his field at Matanag village on the volcano's southeastern slope, when he heard a shout and saw someone pointing to a cloud of ash.

"When I saw the cloud, I got scared and came down," he said.

Another farmer, Loreto Aydaya, rushed along carrying a sack of vegetables and leading his two water buffalos.

"I was scared because I was about a kilometer (mile) away," he said.

School teacher Jenny Perez said parents rushed to the Matanag Elementary School to get their children.

"I could not do anything, so I just dismissed my class," she said.

Other residents packed bags and kitchen utensils and waited on the roadside or inside their homes for village officials' signal to evacuate.

In Lidong village in nearby Santo Domingo town, some residents were told to leave.

Alvin Rodriguez said he was worried that his family, especially his three young children, would be overwhelmed by the ash fall.

Mayon is one of the Philippines' 22 active volcanos. Its most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79 people.

The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

[Source]

(If Eruption Imminent) Farmers To Be ‘Forcibly’ Evicted From Mayon Danger Zone

2006-07-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 09:48pm (Mla time) 07/19/2006

LEGAZPI CITY -- A disaster official said on Wednesday that farmers still within the seven-kilometer (4.2 mile) danger zone declared around the crater of restive Mayon Volcano in Albay province would be “forcibly” removed from the area if and when volcanologists determine that an explosive eruption is imminent.

"We are worried about the people who remain in the permanent danger zone. There are livestock in there as well," said regional disaster coordinating council official Angel Capili after surveying Mayon from the air early Wednesday.

Rescue officials on Wednesday warned farmers to leave the fertile slopes of the volcano as it spewed lava for a fifth straight day amid fears of a major eruption.

The farmers work on the lower slopes of the cone-shaped, 2,462-meter (8,077-foot) central Philippines mountain thought at risk of an explosive eruption and whose lava flow has lengthened to about three kilometers (1.8 miles).

Capili did not estimate the number of people who remain within the danger zone.

No evacuations have been ordered outside the zone, but volcanologist Ed Laguerta told Agence France-Presse an explosive eruption could threaten the lives or properties of up to 70,000 people, including residents on the outskirts of Legazpi city.

Mayon's mild eruption continued at dawn Wednesday, marked by a fiery shower of lava fragments that fell up to four kilometers (2.4 miles) below the crater.

"Seismic activity apparently resumed to high levels," suggesting lava extrusion and rock falls, the government's seismology institute said in its latest advisory.

"At this stage Mayon continues its mild eruption with little or no explosions," it said.

"The public however is reminded that explosions are still very possible and the probability of life-threatening pyroclastic flows resulting from an explosive eruption remains high."

These flows refer to superheated dust and rocks that travel down a volcano's flanks at great speeds during an explosive eruption.

Mayon, about 300 kilometers (176 miles) southeast of Manila, is one of 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines.

It has erupted 47 times in recorded history, including in 1814, when it buried the town of Cagsawa killing an estimated 1,000 residents. Mayon's most recent major eruption was in 2001.

[Source]

Prepare To Evacuate, Mayon Residents Told

2006-07-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

By Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)
Last updated 09:17am (Mla time) 07/16/2006

LEGAZPI CITY—Residents near Mt. Mayon have been advised to prepare for evacuation in case volcanic activity intensifies after lava began trickling down its slopes in a “mild and quiet eruption” on Friday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) raised the volcano’s alert level status from level 1 to level 3 at about 6 p.m. on Friday after observing lava trickles in the southeast quadrant of the volcano.

“The sudden raising of the alert level status was due to the volcano’s rapid change brought about by mild explosions and detaching of volcano fragments,” said Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist of the Phivolcs.

Alert level three means there is “relatively high unrest” in the volcano with volcanic quakes and tremors expected to become frequent ahead of an eruption.

The 2,474-meter Mt. Mayon, known for its near-perfect cone and one of the country’s 22 active volcanoes, last had a major eruption in July 2001, forcing the evacuation of about 50,000 people. It has erupted about 50 times since 1616.

Phivolcs warned that more explosive eruptions could occur “as gas-rich lavas are expelled” and warned residents to stay away from the six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ).

On Saturday, officials extended the PDZ to 7 km on the southeastern slope, where most of the molten rocks and other debris have been rolling down since Friday.

Laguerta said the volcano’s southeast quadrant was the most critical area as volcanic flows travel to that direction, affecting areas here and in the towns of Sto. Domingo and Daraga.

Evacuation of residents in the highly critical areas will start as soon as Philvolcs raised the alert level to 4, said Cedric Daep, Albay provincial disaster action officer.

Daep said around 7,476 persons or 1,484 families live within the six-kilometer PDZ.

Daep said relief officials were stockpiling food and readying evacuation centers. Daep said groups have been formed to transport evacuees, provide security for abandoned communities, and provide health and sanitation services at the centers.

But officials said they won’t order any evacuation yet as they braced for a possible violent eruption that may take weeks.

“There has been an increased tendency toward a hazardous eruption,” Alejo Baloloy, a Phivolcs science research analyst said, but ruled out a sudden, major eruption.

“Right now, we are on a mild eruption phase, with high frequency tremors attributed to rockfalls by the detached lava from the dome.” He predicted a major eruption could take place “within weeks.”

On the streets of Legazpi City, capital of Albay province close to the volcano, some residents watched as boulders and other debris cascaded from the crater, stirring up brownish-grey clouds of volcanic dust in their wake.

“What is happening now is a mild and quiet type of eruption,” Renato Solidum, chief of Philvolcs said. “What we are watching is the rate by which this magma is being extruded. If it is faster and stronger, it will lead to more hazardous eruptions.”

Laguerta said red-hot boulders, some the size of cars, broke into smaller pieces after being expelled from the crater, piling up about 4 km down the southeastern slope.

On Friday night, a 2-km long streak of lava that looked like “burning embers” was seen slowly snaking down the southeastern slope, said Jukes Nunez, an operations officer with the provincial disaster officer.

Nunez said an eruption warning system was already in place for quick evacuation of nearby communities, and radio stations would also broadcast emergency calls.

“There is no more human activity” within the 6-7-km danger zone as of Saturday, he added.

Mayon’s most violent eruption in 1814 killed more than 1,200 people and buried an entire town in volcanic mud. An eruption in 1993 killed 79 people.

The Philippines is in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activities and earthquakes are common.

In June 1991, Mt. Pinatubo exploded in Zambales in one of the world’s biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.

[Source]

Lava Flow Increasing From Mayon

2006-07-17T22:34:00.001-07:00

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 01:46pm (Mla time) 07/16/2006

LEGAZPI--The flow of lava from Mayon volcano has increased, a sign of greater unrest inside the volcano southeast of the Philippine capital, officials warned on Sunday.

The increase in the flow of lava has been accompanied by a rise in the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted by Mayon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in its latest advisory.

"One likely scenario is a shift from lava extrusion to explosive eruption," the institute warned, saying this would be accompanied by deadly mudflows of volcanic ash.

The government is still maintaining its six-kilometer (nearly four-mile) radius permanent danger zone around the volcano where no one is supposed to enter, the institute said.

However local officials and residents said that some farmers were continuing to farm the fertile slopes around Mayon despite the warning.

"Our farmers in the six-kilometer danger zone should stop for awhile and not enter there because we never know what will happen. There could be a sudden eruption," said Noel Rosal, mayor of Legaspi, the city closest to Mayon.

Rosal said in a radio interview that even wild animals such as boars and snakes were descending from Mayon and that springs on the lower slopes of the mountain were drying up, all of which were "a bad sign."

The 2,462-meter (8,077-foot) tall volcano, famous for its near-perfect cone shape, began oozing lava on Friday.

Alert level three of the five-step alert system has been in force around Mayon. This means that there is "relatively high unrest" in the volcano with volcanic quakes and tremors expected to become frequent ahead of an eruption.

The volcano, about 300 kilometers (176 miles) southeast of Manila, last had a major eruption in July 2001.

More than 1,000 people are believed to have perished when the volcano erupted in 1814.

[Source]

Mayon Displays Increasing Unrest

2006-07-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

By Gil Francis G. Arevalo, Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer, Associated Press)
Last updated 04:13pm (Mla time) 07/16/2006

LEGAZPI CITY--(UPDATE) During the past 24-hour observation period, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Sunday noted a significant increase in the bulge of advancing lava at Mt. Mayon, causing lava flows to roll down to a distance of about 800 meters from the summit.

The Phivolcs said it was a clear indication of the volcano's increasing unrest.

According to Eduardo Laguerta, senior science research specialist and resident volcanologist of the Phivolcs here, the increase in the lava's extrusion rate is a sign that a greater pressure inside the volcano is at work at an increasing momentum.

Only one minor explosion occurred at 2:47 p.m. on Saturday.

The increase, in the lava extrusion rate was also accompanied by an increase in sulfur dioxide emissions--from the previous 1,251 tons per day to about 2,221 tons per day--measured Saturday morning, the Phivolcs said on Sunday.

The latest Phivolcs bulletin said that at this stage, except for ashfalls, the major hazards of rockfalls, lava flow, and small rock avalanches all occurred within the six-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), which according to the Office of Civil Defense here, covers 5 municipalities and 10 villages with a population of 3,004 families or 15,825 persons.

Laguerta said the Phivolcs was keeping close watch on the volcano's southeast quadrant, which is the highly critical area as it is the direction where lava and other volcanic emissions go, covering areas here and in the towns of Sto. Domingo and Daraga.

Laguerta said there is a big possibility of raising the alert level near Mt. Mayon to four on a five-level alert scale if tremor episodes related to large rock masses detached from the lava flow will continue within the next few days.

He said the latest volcanic activities are indicators of a high probability that there would be a major eruption.

On the streets of this city, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila, residents watched boulders and other debris cascading from the crater, raising brownish-gray clouds of dust.

Mayon's most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79.

An eruption warning system is already in place for the quick evacuation of nearby communities, and radio stations have been told to broadcast emergency calls, said Jukes Nunez, an operations officer with the provincial disaster officer.

The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo exploded in the northern Philippines in one of the world's biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.

[Source]

Fireworks Show Keeps Mayon Villagers Awake

2006-07-17T22:33:00.001-07:00

By Gil Francis G. Arevalo, Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)
Last updated 02:28am (Mla time) 07/17/2006

LEGAZPI CITY--FLAMING LAVA AND rocks cascaded down the slopes of Mount Mayon, raising risks of a major eruption and putting thousands of villagers on high alert for evacuation.

"If the activities continued in the next few days, we may upgrade the alert level to 4, which means a hazardous eruption is imminent within hours to days," resident volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta said after the volcano gave a frightening "fireworks display" on Saturday night.

"From 6 a.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday, our instruments recorded a total of 111 volcanic tremors, a significant increase from Friday to Saturday's 22," he told Reuters.

An estimated 60,000 people in Albay would be evacuated in the event of a major eruption, disaster officials said.

Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal said in a radio interview that even wild animals, such as boars and snakes, had begun descending from Mayon and that springs on the lower slopes of the mountain were drying up, all of which were "a bad sign."

Residents in Barangay Padang here feared there would be more lava explosions.

"Mayon appears to be ready to explode but wants to hold everybody in suspense, which is more frightening for us," villager Elvie Echaluce said. "We don't know what will happen next--but we're ready to evacuate anytime."

Jose Mirafuentes, 41, of Barangay Matnog in neighboring Daraga, said that for two days now, he had been awakened by rumbling sounds at night, despite his having drunk more than enough liquor to knock him out.

No sleep
"It was louder on Saturday night to early Sunday morning. I could not sleep anymore," said Mirafuentes, who lives in a village right at the foot of the 2,474-meter mountain, one of the country's 22 active volcanoes.

Mirafuentes was specially worried about his neighbor, Salvador, who was still up in the volcano, making copra. Fortunately, Salvador returned home early morning yesterday.

During the past 24-hour observation period, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) noted a significant increase in the bulge of advancing lava, which rolled down to a distance of about 800 meters from the summit.

Phivolcs said it was a clear indication of the volcano's mounting unrest.

Danger zone
Laguerta said the increase in the rate of the lava flow showed greater pressure at work inside the volcano.

The increase in the lava extrusion rate was accompanied by an increase in sulfur dioxide emissions--from the previous 1,251 tons per day to 2,221 tons--as measured Saturday morning, Phivolcs said.

Its latest bulletin said the lava flows and rock avalanches all occurred within the 6-km radius permanent danger zone, which covers parts of five municipalities with a total population of 3,000 families, or 15,825 people.

Southeast slopes
Laguerta said Phivolcs was keeping close watch on the volcano's southeastern slopes, believed to be the most highly critical area as it is in that direction where lava and other volcanic emissions go.

The area covers some parts of Legazpi and the towns of Sto. Domingo and Daraga.

The danger zone was extended to 7 km on the southeastern slopes on Saturday.

Alert Level 3 has been up since Friday night, which means that volcanic quakes and tremor may become more frequent, the emission of sulfur dioxide may increase.

Alert levels
Laguerta said there was a big possibility of the alert level being raised to 4 if tremors continued within the next few days.

At alert level 3, a dangerous hazardous explosion is considered possible; at 4, it is seen as likely, and at 5, the highest alert, an eruption has occurred with lava flows or ash columns reaching 6 km.

Laguerta said the latest volcanic activities indicated a high probability that there would be a major eruption.

"The development of its activity is quite disturbing for the past days," Laguerta said. "That's why our monitoring is now becoming more critical as far as the contingency plans of the local governments and the OCD (Office of Civil Defense) are concerned."
Watching the fireworks
On the streets of Legazpi, residents watched rocks and other debris cascading from the crater, raising brownish-gray clouds of dust.

The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council is already coordinating with concerned agencies on the possible evacuation of people residing in barangays Bonga, Padang and Buyuan.

PDCC operating officer Cedric Daep said all concerned areas had been advised of contingency measures.

An eruption warning system is already in place for the quick evacuation of threatened communities, and radio stations have been told to broadcast emergency calls, said operations officer Jukes Nuñez.

Appeals from officials
Gov. Fernando Gonzales renewed his call on those living within the 6-km danger zone to evacuate to avoid possible casualties.

Mayor Rosal advised residents within the zone to gather their livestock and cattle in a safe place as part of evacuation preparations.

"Our farmers in the danger zone should stop for awhile and not enter there because we never know what will happen. There could be a sudden eruption," he said.

Mayon started spilling lava and debris on Friday in what some volcanologists said was the beginning of a silent eruption.

Violent history
A series of eruptions also shook the volcano in 2001, forcing 50,000 people to flee.

Mayon has erupted about 50 times since 1616. Its most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried an entire town in volcanic mud. A 1993 blast killed 79 people.

The Philippines lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where volcanic activities and earthquakes are common.

[Source]

Gov't Prepared In Event Of Major Mayon Eruption, Says Bunye

2006-07-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

BY Christine O. Avendano (Inquirer)
Last updated 07:14am (Mla time) 07/17/2006

WITH PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo away on a state visit to Libya, Malacañang yesterday gave assurances that the government was ready for any contingency should Mount Mayon unleash a major eruption.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the National Disaster Coordinating Council and the local government units were "on top of all disaster preparedness measures to ensure the safety of the residents who may be directly affected by the volcanic activity."

"We appeal to residents and travelers to adhere to the off-limit zones and to abide by the contingency measures being implemented by authorities," Bunye said in a statement.

"Preparedness and coordination between the concerned government agencies, the local government units, as well as the communities in the area would be the key in maintaining zero-casualty in the event that a major eruption occurs," he said.

[Source]

Thieves Cut Phivolcs Communications Amid Mayon Watch

2006-07-17T22:32:00.001-07:00

By Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)
Last updated 01:53pm (Mla time) 07/17/2006

LEGASPI CITY - Still unidentified thieves made off with the communications cables of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), cutting the agency’s phone communications here for hours even as it continued to monitor restive Mayon Volcano.

"This has happened thrice already since May this year. What these robbers don't realize is that they are toying with public safety with what they are doing," said Alex Baloloy, Phivolcs science research analyst.

Phivolcs has been keeping close tabs on Mayon since it began spewing lava last Friday. Activity of the volcano, famed for its near-perfect cone, increased over the weekend, leading scientists to warn of an impending eruption.

Baloloy said the wires were stolen at around 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. from the Phivolcs observatory.

However, no one witnessed the incident at the facility, which is in a secluded area on Ligñon Hill in Tagas village, Daraga town.

Phone communications were restored only Sunday night when the Digitel Telephone Company replaced the stolen wires.

An angry Albay Governor Fernando Gonzales immediately ordered the provincial police to investigate the matter.

"Certainly, there was a lapse in law enforcement," Gonzales said.

Early this year, two seismometers of Phivolcs were also stolen.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs recorded 314 tremor episodes over the last 24-hours, significantly higher than the previous period’s 111.

Baloloy said this could indicate an increase in the ascension level of magma within the volcano and more burning volcanic rocks coming out from Mayon’s crater.

[Source]

Mayon Volcano Eruption Seen As Lava, Tremors Increase

2006-07-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

By Bullit Marquez (Associated Press)
Last updated 05:54pm (Mla time) 07/17/2006

LEGASPI CITY -- (UPDATE) Red-hot lava poured down the slopes of Mayon volcano, accompanied by more tremors, for the fourth straight day Monday, indicating an explosive eruption may occur soon, scientists said.

The government, meanwhile, assured residents that evacuation plans were in place in case of a major eruption, although authorities for time being ruled out raising the alert level from two notches below the highest.

The silent, steady flow of lava and debris on the 2,474-meter (8,118-foot) mountain, famous for its near-perfect cone, has reached 800 meters (2,624 feet) down the summit since Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Gleaming in the dark and steaming during the day, the advancing lava and cascading rocks were accompanied by 314 tremors in the past 24 hours, significantly higher than the 111 tremors the previous day, the institute said.

"The increased seismic activity, relatively fast lava extrusion rate and high sulfur dioxide emission rate indicate heightened unrest of the volcano, which could lead to explosive eruption," it said.

Officials had earlier estimated a hazardous eruption could occur within weeks.

Authorities have extended a six-kilometer (3.7-mile) danger zone around the peak of the volcano to seven kilometers (four miles) on the southeastern slope, where most of the lava and other debris have been rolling down.

On the streets of Legaspi City, the capital of Albay province near the volcano, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila, it was business as usual as people went about their lives.

In the evenings, residents and tourists gathered at a hillside to gaze at the flowing lava.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Monday the National Disaster Coordinating Council and local authorities "are on top of all disaster preparedness measures to ensure the safety of the residents who may be directly affected by the volcanic activity."

Mayon's most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79.

The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo exploded in the northern Philippines in one of the world's biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.

[Source]

Phivolcs Cable Wires Stolen As Mayon Blows Hot

2006-07-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

By Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)
Last updated 03:12am (Mla time) 07/18/2006

LEGAZPI CITY—Cable wires of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology here were again stolen by unidentified men, disrupting communications from and to the Phivolcs office just as it monitored lava flow from Mayon Volcano.

Alex Baloloy, Phivolcs science research analyst, said the wires were stolen between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., but no one saw the theft. The observatory is at a secluded area at the Ligñon Hill in Barangay Tagas in Daraga town.

The phone line was restored when Digitel Telephone Co. immediately replaced the stolen wires.

“This has happened thrice already since May. What these robbers don’t realize is that they are toying with public safety with what they are doing,” Baloloy said.

An angry Gov. Fernando Gonzales immediately ordered the provincial police to investigate and come out with positive results in 24 hours.

“Certainly, there was a lapse in law enforcement,” Gonzales said.

“Some unscrupulous people don’t realize that they are putting lives in danger, including theirs.”

Early this year, two seismometers of the Phivolcs were stolen.

One was returned after the robbers heard the Phivolcs’ appeal over radio for the return of the instrument because it was needed to monitor ground movements related to volcanic activities.

The Phivolcs has recorded 314 quakes generated by Mayon’s activity from a previous 111. This indicates magma rising and burning volcanic rocks coming out, Baloloy said.

Less emission of sulfur dioxide—a sign of clogging inside the volcano—was also noted.

“If the pressure continues to rise and there is clogging within the volcano, it might lead to an explosion,” Baloloy said.

The latest Phivolcs bulletin noted “heightened unrest in the volcano which could lead to an explosive eruption” based on an increase in seismic activity and lava flow.

People within the 6-km-radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) and even those beyond, especially in the southeast portion facing the Bonga Gully, should be on a high level of alert, the Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs has maintained alert level 3 since Friday night in the 2,474-meter Mayon, which is known for its near-perfect cone. It is also one of the country’s 22 active volcanos.

[Source]

Mayon Rumbling Continues; Villagers Recall 1993 Blast

2006-07-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

By Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)
Last updated 01:44am (Mla time) 07/18/2006

LEGAZPI CITY -- There is not a sign of fear in their faces as they go about their simple ways of living. But the villagers of Bonga have known the terror of living in the shadow of one of the Philippines’ killer volcanoes.

Village secretary Carmen Azul still vividly remembers what happened to her neighbors when Mount Mayon erupted in 1993.

“I heard the people yelling, I thought there was a street fight, until I saw people covered with ash, their skins burned,” she told the Inquirer.

“They had come from the foot of the volcano to farm or tend to their livestock. Some were still alive when I saw them but they were crying in pain because of their burns.”

The others were beyond care.

“They were already stiff and dead,” Azul said. “I was just thankful my husband did not go out to farm that day and just stayed home.”

The ghastly memories came back to Azul yesterday as the 2,474-meter volcano continued to rumble and scientists warned of the danger of another possibly major blast.

Besides the increased seismic activity from Mayon, volcanologists also noted that the stream of lava from the summit had rolled 800 meters down from the summit.

One also could not see any trace of concern in the faces of Bonga’s children but they also knew of the danger of living close to Mayon, some 7 km away from their village.

Their parents had told them what it was like.

“It is dangerous … If it explodes, we will leave this place and go to Gogon (a designated evacuation center),” 7-year-old Jessa said as she played with other kids on a dusty road.

Me-Ann, another child, said she would run as fast and as far as her legs would carry her. She said her mother had told her of what happened in 1993.

Benjamin Esquivel, village chief of Bonga, recalled the eruption was so sudden that the villagers did not have time to prepare.

Many farmers, including Esquivel’s two brothers, were working on the fields when they were hit by a mass of fiery ash from the volcano’s summit.

They died because of serious burns, he said.

79 dead
The eruption killed a total of 79 villagers, mostly farmers who were planting coconuts, vegetables and root crops at the foot of the volcano when it exploded.

“The main livelihood of the people here is farming. The farmers cultivate soil at the foot of the Mayon because the soil there is very fertile. It lessens their cost of production since they no longer need so much artificial fertilizer,” said Antonio Alcera, head of Barangay Mabinit, one of the danger areas at the foot of Mayon.

Based on Office of Civil Defense reports, as of March, there were 4,343 farmers living immediately outside the 6-km-radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) but continued to farm within the zone.

Said Alcera: “The farmers here are worried that because of the ongoing eruption, their crops will be destroyed. In 1993, the plantations were devastated by the series of ash falls, robbing the farmers of their source of living.”

Remembered lessons
Though women in the village are into weaving, farming remains the main source of income for the 400 households in Barangay Matanag.

In Bonga, Esquivel said the 1993 eruption taught villagers some important lessons which they have not forgotten.

“On their own initiative, the farmers are now careful not to enter the high-risk areas, planting in safer fields far from where the 1993 tragedy happened,” Esquivel said.

Nature’s signs
Villagers cling to their traditional beliefs about the signs of an imminent eruption.

“One of the common signs here is when the wells in the village dry up. It is also usually hot, even if it’s windy,” Azul said.

Old folks believe a change in the behavior of animals in the volcano’s forest also portends that an eruption is coming, according to Esquivel.

Birds, snakes and other wild animals have been observed to leave the volcano’s slopes when an eruption is near. They are believed to be able to feel the volcano’s restiveness, which makes them feel uneasy and prompts them to travel downslope.

Preparedness
The village chieftains of Bonga and Matanag said they were aware of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council’s evacuation scheme.

“I have advised the people to prepare the basic things they have to bring just in case the alert level is raised to four. We already know our designated evacuation center. We just have to be watchful all the time,” Alcera said.

Alcera said that if the situation worsened, nobody would want to be left in the village even if it meant giving up their livelihood.

“Who would want the 1993 tragedy to happen again?” Azul said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) said it had recorded 314 tremors in the last 24 hours up to 6 a.m. yesterday, significantly higher than the 111 tremors monitored Sunday.

“Residents in areas facing the Bonga gully in the southeast portion of the volcano and within 7 kilometers of the crater are advised to be prepared for evacuation,” Phivolcs said in a bulletin issued yesterday.

It advised residents near the Bonga gully to be vigilant against hazardous explosions that could cause lava flows and small rock avalanches.

[Source]

Paanyaya Sa Lahat

2006-06-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

I got a forwarded letter from my orgmate, John Clemente, who also is the chairperson for the Tabang sa Kabikolan. In behalf of the committee that has been organized to help out victims of the Mt. Bulusan eruption, he's inviting everyone to join one of their meetings this July 14th.

Read on for more information.

Ang TABANG SA KABIKOLAN ay isang malawak na kalipunan ng mga organisasyon, indibidwal, estudyante, at propesyunal sa Metro Manila. Ito ay binuo noong Hunyo 14, 2006. Pangunahin naming layunin ang makatulong sa mga biktima ng pagputok ng Bulkang Bulusan.

Inaaanyayahan namin kayong dumalo sa unang GENERAL ASSEMBLY ng TABANG SA KABIKOLAN para sa pagpapakilanlan at pagpaplano ng mga hakbangin para sa pagkakalap ng mga relief goods at iba pa na makakatulong sa mga komunidad na apektado ng pagputok ng Bulkang Bulusan.

Ito ay magaganap sa ika-6 ng Hulyo 2006 (Hwebes) sa tambayan ng UP Ibalon sa Lorena Barros Hall, Vinzons Hill, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Makipag-ugnayan na lamang kay John Clemente sa 09195775736 o mag-email dito.

Inaasahan namin ang inyong pagdalo at pag-imbita pa sa iba pang organisasyon at indibidwal na nasa Metro Manila.

Mabalos saindong gabos!

Sumasainyo,

John Clemente

Soli Letter Ng Tabang Sa Kabikolan

2006-06-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a screenshot of the actual letter.

Post ko na lang dito ang laman mismo ng letter. So if you are interested, you can contact me or anybody else listed dun. May contact information naman. Thanks!

30 June 2006

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

Dear ___________,

Good Day!

Tabang sa Kabikolan is a quick response network of Bicolanos and organizations in Metro Manila. The network was initiated and spearheaded by the UP Ibalon, a regional organization of Bicolanos in UP Diliman.

Tabang sa Kabikolan's activities consist mainly of collecting relief and helping with the actual relief operations for the communities affected by the eruption of Mt. Bulusan. At present, we are in the process of building the network - inviting organizations, schools, institutions and individuals, while soliciting relief goods which we can immediate give to the affected communities through relief organizations in the region. We have already linked up with the People's Disaster Response Network in the Bicol Region.

We are also in the process of creating a website which will contain information about the affected communities and developments of Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon and also of Mt. Mayon in Albay.

In line with this, we are soliciting for your institution's support. From relief goods - food, medicine, used clothing, etc., to monetary aid for the transportation of these goods to Bikol.

Sincerely,

John Paul Clemente
Chairman
Tabang sa Kabikolan

address: UP IBALON, Rm 1A, Lorena Barros Hall, Vinzons Hill, UP Diliman, Quezon City
contact people: John Paul Clemente – (0919)577-5736; Kidjie Saguin – (0920)853-6751
email: tabang_sa_kabikolan@yahoo.com
website: http://tabang-sa-kabikolan.cp-union.org

Tabang Sa Kabikolan Primer

2006-06-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ano ang Tabang sa Kabikolan?

Ang Tabang sa Kabikolan ay isang malawak na kalipunan ng mga organisasyon, indibidwal, estudyante, at propesyunal sa Metro Manila. Ito ay binuo noong Hunyo 14, 2006. Pangunahin naming layunin ang makatulong sa mga biktima ng pagputok ng Bulkang Bulusan.

Ang Tabang sa Kabikolan sa pinapangunahan ng UP Ibalon, isang rehiyunal na organisasyon ng mga estudyante sa UP Diliman. Taong 2000, pinangunahan din ng UP Ibalon ang pagbubuo sa Metro Manila ng Mt. Mayon Disaster Response Network. Nakapangalap to ng pinansya at materyal, at nakapaglunsad ng serye ng relief operation sa mga apektadong komunidad sa Albay noong 2000 at 2001.

Partikular na layunin ng Tabang sa Kabikolan

1. Mangalap ng mga gamot, damit, pagkain, pinansya, at iba pang tulong para sa mga biktima ng pagputok ng Bulkang Bulusan.

2. Maglunsad ng relief operation, medical at dental missions sa mga apektadong pamilya.

3. Magsagawa ng mga masiglang pag-aaral, talakayan, at pagpapaliwanag sa kalagayan ng bikol at ng mga mamamayan nito.

4. Mag-organisa ng mga disaster volunteers sa iba’t ibang paaralan, komunidad, at iba pang lugar sa Metro Manila.

Layunin ng Tabang sa Kabikolan na palawakin ang kanyang network at pakikipagugnayan sa iba’t ibang organisasyon at indibidwal sa Metro Manila at maging sa Bikol.

Bagamat sa nangungunang kampanya ng network ang pangangalap ng tulong para sa mga komunidad na apektado ng Bulkang Bulusan sa kasalukuyan, hindi dito nagtatapos ang pagtataguyod ng Tabang sa Kabikolan. Maari ding dalhin lumahok ang network sa pagpapalaganap ng impormasyon at pagpapakilos hinggil sa iba pang natural o man-made disasters na lubos na nakakaapekto sa kabuhayan ng mamamayang Bikolano.

Paano kami makokontak?

Tumungo lamang sa:

UP Ibalon Tambayan
1A Lorena Barros Hall, Vinzons Hill
UP Diliman, Quezon City

Email:
tabang_sa_kabikolan@yahoo.com
tabang_sa_kabikolan@yahoogroups.com

Website:
tabang-sa-kabikolan.cp-union.org

Makipag-ugnayan sa mga sumusunod:

Kidjie Saguin
UP Ibalon President
0920-8536751

John Paul Clemente
Secretariat, Webmaster Tabang sa Kabikolan
0919-5775736

Czarina Labayo
Secretariat, Tabang sa Kabikolan
0919-3704867

Mt. Bulusan Expels Ash Anew

2006-06-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

By Madel R. Sabater and Edgard Hilario (Manila Bulletin)

Another ash explosion occurred in Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon yesterday, the 10th ash explosion to be recorded in the volcano since March 21, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) disclosed yesterday.

The explosion occurred at 2:06 a.m. and lasted for about four minutes, eight days after Bulusan had its longest ash explosion for 17 minutes last June 20.

Phivolcs also said the volcano’s sulfur dioxide emission rate slightly decreased to 597 tons the other day from the 942 tons last June 26.

According to Phivolcs, two volcanic earthquakes were also registered yesterday during its 24-hour observation period, aside from the four-minute explosion-type earthquake.

These heavy ash falls have already wrought damage on the agricultural crops in 32 barangays around the volcano amounting to some P4 million.

Initial reports submitted by the municipal agriculturist office to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office as of June 16 showed that the most affected barangays are those from the municipalities of Juban and Casiguran.

For rice crop, a total of 223 farmers from nine barangays in Juban have already been affected with an estimated production loss of over P41,000.

For high value crops, 14 barangays from Juban and Casiguran have already been affected with an estimated loss valued at almost P3.7 million. These include vegetables, pineapple and other fruit trees.

For livestock and poultry, the municipality of Juban has reported that some 550 chicken , 10 cattle and carabaos and 5 goats have already been affected with an estimated value of almost P200,000.

DA assistant regional director Jose Dayao said the DA regional office has already come up with contingency plan to assist farmers who will be affected by the eruption of Mt.Bulusan.

Bulusan volcano is still on alert level 2 and its four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) is still closed to the public.

Towering at 1,559 meters above sea level and with 19 recorded eruptions since 1852, Bulusan volcano recorded a series of eruptions from November 1994 to January 1995 before this year’s series of eruptions.

Phivolcs Discovers 5th Crater On Mt. Bulusan

2006-06-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

By Niño Jesus Orbeta, Ephraim Aguilar, Bobby Labalan (Inquirer)
Posted 05:27am (Mla time) June 13, 2006

LEGAZPI CITY -- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has discovered a fifth crater on Mt. Bulusan, a report on the aerial survey conducted by Phivolcs said.

The report, released yesterday, also quoted Dr. Ernesto Corpuz, a Manila-based Phivolcs volcanologist, as saying that based on the aerial survey of the summit and areas around the volcano yesterday morning, a magmatic eruption was not imminent.

Corpuz said that although steaming explosion pits were seen, there were no lava extrusions observed on the summit.

The report said Bulusan was silent during the 24-hour observation period with no volcanic earthquakes recorded and steam emissions were observed to be “generally weak to moderate.”

Alert level two remained hoisted over the volcano, however, as Phivolcs said more explosions were expected.

The agency said that if ash explosions occurred, they were more likely to affect the summit and upper slopes only.

But the ash could be carried several kilometers depending on the wind, it said.

“This time of year, the northeastern and northern sectors are most susceptible although near surface winds may also carry ash to the west and northwest,” the agency said.

The four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) around Bulusan remained off-limits to people. And Phivolcs warned that areas outside the PDZ should be approached with caution.

“Should an unusually large explosion occur, areas outside the danger zone may be affected by volcanic flows,” the latest Phivolcs bulletin said.

It cautioned that gullies, which lead to the middle or upper slopes, should also be avoided because lahar and steam flows could be channeled to these areas, especially during the rainy season.

The Office of Civil Defense, meanwhile, said in its report that five families from the village of Cogon, Irosin town, were evacuated from their homes.

The evacuees said it was better to be safe than sorry since their houses were very close to the volcano.

They said they saw a “crack” in the volcano fronting their houses through which lava could flow.

They also could not stand the smell of sulfur, they said.

In Casiguran, Sorsogon, local government personnel went around checking on residents who might have been stricken ill by the ashfall.

Mayor Edwin Hamor said they were conducting a survey to determine who should be given priority help should Bulusan finally erupt.

He assured local residents the local government had enough provisions for their initial needs.

But the mayor admitted he was a bit at a loss since this was the first time his administration was responding to such a situation.

Houses Damaged, No Casualties As Mt. Bulusan Spews Ash

2006-06-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Inquirer, Agence France-Presse
Posted 01:08pm (Mla time) June 09, 2006

VOLCANIC ash from Bulusan in the Philippines damaged a number of houses in villages surrounding the mountain but residents were unharmed and staying put, emergency workers said Friday.
The government declared the town of Casiguran, on the slope of the 1,565-meter (5,134-foot) mountain, a "calamity" area after ash from the volcano rained down on roofs Wednesday, the civil defense office said.

The exact number of houses damaged in the disaster zone, on the southern tip of the main island of Luzon, was not disclosed.

There were no immediate plans to evacuate residents living around the volcano, it added.

Bulusan calmed down overnight Thursday with only steam plumes emerging from the crater, the official Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

But the institute said the volcano remained in an abnormal state and warned residents to stay at least four kilometers (2.5 miles) away from the crater.

"Phivolcs expects more explosions to occur" due to the rise of steam heated by magma beneath the mountain. It said "there is a possibility of life-threatening volcanic flows."

Bulusan has had 15 recorded eruptions, the latest in November 1994.

Twenty-two volcanoes are considered active in the Philippines, part of the so-called "Pacific ring of fire" made up of islands created by volcanic activity on the Western Pacific.

Bulusan Danger Zone Bow A ‘No-Man’s Land’

2006-06-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

Inquirer
Updated 03:03am (Mla time) 06/25/2006

JUBAN, SORSOGON—THE Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) has declared as “no man’s land” the 4-km danger zone around Bulusan Volcano as part of its efforts to ensure the safety of the residents.

Gov. Raul Lee said after the tension-filled PDCC meeting yesterday that no one would be allowed now to venture into the danger zone even as the volcano has remained silent the past few days.

He said he would also request the provincial board to pass an ordinance banning the entry of the public into the area, except those authorized by the disaster council.

Some residents of Barangay Inlagadian in Casiguran town refused to leave their homes, saying it was still safe and that they could not just abandon their properties and their means of livelihood.

Director Arnel Capili of the Office of Civil Defense recommended to the governor to tap the police and the military in ensuring compliance to the entry ban.

Preparedness

Capili, who was present at the meeting which was marred by arguments, said the local disaster councils had amply addressed all the aspects of disaster preparation, saying things were still within the capability of both the MDCC and the PDCC.

Lee called the closed-door PDCC meeting to settle disagreements between the two mayors of Juban and Irosin, on one hand, and the mayor of Casiguran, on the other.

The Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council has started finalizing plans for the relocation of residents of barangays Puting-Sapa and Añog as part of the precautionary measures.

Guab-Fragata said they were heeding the advice of the PDCC and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to temporarily relocate the residents to ensure their safety as danger remained high.

The Juban mayor said Puting-Sapa has 106 households composed of 503 individuals while Añog has 484 residents comprising 86 households.

The MDCC is now identifying possible areas for the relocation and listing down the necessities at the new site.

An executive of Phivolcs said the agency has to modify the hazard map of Mt. Bulusan. Ernesto Corpuz, chief science research specialist of Phivolcs, said on Friday that their geopositioning system validation using the baseline map from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) is intended to modify the existing hazard map which, he said, has to be updated every eruption.

On Thursday, Eduardo Laguerta (not Laguardia as earlier reported), coordinator for Bicol volcano monitoring, said in a phone interview that the Phivolcs was still validating information and location to come up with a specific hazard map of Mt. Bulusan.

Corpuz clarified that the geologists based in the Philvolcs office in Manila are the ones generating the hazard map after the data from the ground have been fed to them.

He said the Phivolcs modifies the map after each eruption based on the new materials deposited at the volcano’s slopes.

He said the validation using the GPS is also intended to resolve issues concerning exact location of danger zone areas in a situation that some areas are outside the danger zone but are endangered by lahar flow.

He said the village of Cogon in Irosin is outside the danger zone but because of the gully that cut across the village they have to assess it again.

Debris

The deposited debris on the slopes were still to be computed, Corpuz said.

He said no significant number of volcanic tremors were recorded as of June 22. But the intermittent heavy rains that poured since June 19 here have shown the danger of an ash mud flow to the communities along the gullies.

Benjamin Gabiosa, Irosin municipal engineer, said the families in Cogon, one kilometer from the national road, were evacuated in the afternoon of June 20 after heavy rains when mud stream flow started to rumble down near the inhabited areas.

Gabiosa said 402 individuals, mostly women and children, were housed in the Gallanosa High School here because of the intermittent downpour.

Expansion Of Danger Zone Around Bulusan Advised

2006-06-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

By Bobby Labalan
Inquirer, Agence France-Presse
Posted 06:14pm (Mla time) June 19, 2006

SORSOGON CITY -- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has advised local officials to expand to five kilometers the radius of the Permanent Danger Zone to ensure the safety of those living around Bulusan volcano.

Frequent ash emissions from the volcano could pose a threat to surrounding areas although there is little danger of a major eruption, Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said Monday.
But he warned that hazards remain due to the large volume of volcanic debris spread over the summit and surrounding hillsides.

"As the rainy season progresses, this accumulated loose volcanic material whether old or new shall be eroded, mobilized and mixed with rainwaters which could form in hazardous lahars and torrential flows," he said.

Dr. Ernesto Corpuz, chief of the Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, said that with the onset of the rainy season residents face two grave dangers--from ashfall and lahar flow.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration announced that more rains brought by the southwest monsoon are expected in the next few days here in Sorsogon.

The 5,134-foot Bulusan mountain in the central region of Bicol began a period of minor activity in late March.

But the lack of volcanic quakes accompanying the ash explosions and the low levels of sulfur dioxide being emitted "suggest that no large or active magmatic intrusion into shallow depths has taken place," said Solidum.

Instead, the activity points to an "interaction of small volumes of magma with an overlying water-saturated zone beneath the summit," he said.

"It remains to be seen if the recent explosions would provide an uncorking effect and induce a major hazardous eruption, because the very low earthquake activity suggests otherwise," he added.

The advice to expand the danger zone was issued as evacuation was ongoing in the two most affected towns of Juban and Casiguran Monday morning.

"Though no eruption is imminent at this moment, ash explosions are expected--which may endanger the women, children and the elderly, especially those who are sick," he said.

Under the Bulusan advisories, alert level 2 may cover up to five-kilometer radius of the PDZ from four kilometer radius, he added.

"It's a judgment call on the part of the local officials since they are more familiar with the terrain in their respective jurisdictions," the Phivolcs official pointed out.

As of press time, 319 persons comprising 56 families were already housed at the Jose Alindogan Elementary School in the village of Tugah, Juban and 60 families composed of 341 persons were already evacuated to the Casiguran Vocational High School.

Residents Flee Village As Boulders Rumble Down Bulusan

2006-06-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Associated Press, Inquirer
Updated 06:02pm (Mla time) 06/25/2006

JUBAN, Camarines Sur--(UPDATE) About 100 residents fled from a Philippine farming village after hearing boulders and rocks rumbling down restive Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province amid heavy rains from a tropical storm, an official said Sunday.

Army and government trucks helped the residents flee from barangay (village) Cogon below Bulusan. No one was injured and no houses were damaged by the mudflow and boulders - some as big as a car - that tumbled down the volcano late Saturday, said Mayor Lilia Gonzales of Irosin town.

The boulders and rocks - ejected during Bulusan's previous ash expulsions - were washed down the volcano by the heavy rains, Gonzales said.

"The villagers heard the rocks cascading down Bulusan and they ran for their lives thinking they would be crushed," Gonzales told The Associated Press by telephone.

The boulders snapped a water pipe that ran across the gully, cutting off the water supply to households in the village, the Inquirer's Southern Luzon Bureau reported.

The 100 villagers were brought to a school away from the volcano, joining 400 other residents who were evacuated days earlier following Bulusan's intermittent blasts of ash and rocky debris, Gonzales said.

Nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated to school buildings in Irosin and the nearby towns of Casiguran and Juban due to Bulusan's ash expulsions and the danger of volcanic mudflows, according to the government's National Disaster Coordinating Center.

Romeo Cielo, assistant district engineer of the Sorsogon Second District Engineering Office, expressed alarm that they did not have enough information on what kind of volcanic debris to expect from Bulusan.

The 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) volcano, located in Sorsogon province about 390 kilometers southeast of Manila, has belched ash nine times since coming back to life in March. Its last major eruption was in 1994, causing no casualties.

Sorsogon is among a cluster of eastern provinces experiencing heavy rains due to a tropical storm affecting the central Philippines, government forecasters said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned villagers to stay away from a permanent danger zone around Bulusan. Although the volcano was quiet Sunday, the stormy weather could trigger life-threatening volcanic mudflows, it said in a statement.

Gonzales said she has warned residents in villages under threat of mudflows or rock slides to evacuate to temporary shelters because of the storm and not wait for an imminent danger before moving away.

"I told them that in an ash explosion they can just cover their face with towels but in a sudden mudflow, they'll be the ones to be covered alive," she said.

Before leaving Sunday for Europe, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo held an emergency meeting with officials monitoring Bulusan villages. She ordered two air force C-130 cargo aircraft and helicopters, along with a medical team, to stand by in case of possible evacuation.

Arroyo said a major eruption was unlikely in the next few days.

Bulusan is one of 22 active volcanos in the Philippines, which lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

Bulusan Funds Ready, Says Palace

2006-06-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez (INQ7.net)
Updated 04:43pm (Mla time) 06/26/2006

FUNDS will be immediately available to assist residents around restive Mount Bulusan in case of deadly mudflows or a major eruption, Malacañang assured on Monday.

Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said he has been instructed to coordinate with Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya to ensure the quick release of funds for contingency purposes.

In a telephone interview, Andaya said his department has allotted funds from the "quick response fund" from the Office of the President to different agencies as standby funds for any eventuality.

The Department of Social Works and Development will be getting 65 million pesos; the Office of Civil Defense, 35 million pesos; the Department of Public Works and Highways, 48 million pesos; and the Department of National Defense, 36 million pesos for.

Tropical storm Domeng brought heavy rains to Sorsogon over the weekend, dislodging rocks and boulders from the slopes of Bulusan.

Before she left for Europe on Saturday, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered civil defense officials to prepare contingency measures for the Bulusan area.

The President also put on stand by what she called the “Bulusan Express,” a fleet of two C-130 cargo planes, eight helicopters, including the presidential helicopter, and a train.

'Address Needs Of Bulusan Evacuees' – Arroyo

2006-06-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez (INQ7.net)
Posted 12:44pm (Mla time) June 19, 2006

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday instructed the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and other concerned agencies to provide for the needs of families displaced by restive Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon.
The President’s order came as Army troops helped evacuate about 450 residents around the volcano after it spewed ash and gravel in a new explosion Sunday.

"The President is concerned over the situation and has directed the NDCC and other concerned agencies to ensure that the basic needs of the displaced residents are available in safe evacuation centers," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

At the same time, Bunye appealed to residents around the volcano to heed the directions of local officials to keep out of danger areas until it is safe to return to their homes.

"We have to ensure that the affected residents are in the right and secure place until our experts declare that it is safe to go back," he said.

"We appeal then to local residents to avoid flirting with danger by observing and following the contingency measures being implemented by proper authorities," Bunye added.

Sunday’s explosion came a day after Arroyo visited Sorsogon to oversee the disaster preparedness efforts of government agencies in the province.

4 Quakes Recorded In Bulusan

2006-06-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

INQ7.net, GMA7
First posted 04:11pm (Mla time) June 18, 2006

FOUR earthquakes were recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon over the last 24 hours, GMA Network’s Flash Report said on Sunday.

The report also quoted Phivolcs as saying steam emissions from the volcano had weakened.

Nevertheless, Phivolcs maintained the Alert Level 2 it had raised over Bulusan and warned people from staying within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Flash Report also said the Army’s 2nd Infantry Battalion was conducting “clearing operations” within the permanent danger zone in advance of evacuations scheduled for Monday.

Communist Rebels Amenable To Truce Around Bulusan Volcano

2006-06-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Inquirer
First posted 11:03am (Mla time) June 21, 2006

(3RD UPDATE) COMMUNIST guerillas on Wednesday welcomed a government proposal for a temporary ceasefire around a restive central Philippine volcano to allow soldiers to help villagers in case of a major eruption.
But the rebels, who have waged a 37-year-old Maoist insurgency, warned that the truce should not be used to bring in US troops to the disaster area.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's chief of staff, Michael Defensor, on Tuesday said the government was ready to discuss possible cooperation with the guerrillas in the Bulusan volcano region despite a new all-out offensive against the rebels ordered by the President last week.

"We welcome the request of Mike Defensor ... for a mutual ceasefire between the Armed Forces and the NDFP in connection with the expected eruption of Mount Bulusan," the communist-led umbrella National Democratic Front of the Philippines said in a statement.

Fidel Agcaoili, chairman of the NDF human rights committee, said the rebel group was offering a ceasefire in the towns of Bulusan, Casiguran and Juban while relief efforts were ongoing and until it was safe enough for families to return to their homes.

“Notwithstanding the Arroyo regime’s current acts of hostility against the revolutionary movement, we deem acceptable the mutual ceasefire on humanitarian grounds,” Agcaoli said.

The 5,134-foot mountain began emitting steam and ash in late March, triggering the evacuation of several dozen families on the southern tip of the main island of Luzon.

Government experts said this week that a major eruption appeared to be unlikely.

Agcaoili warned that the cease-fire "should not be used as a license by the armed forces ... to swamp the affected areas with armed troops," and "should also not be used as a license by the US to bring in military forces to disaster-affected areas in the guise of humanitarian relief."

He said the ceasefire duration would cover the evacuation of the people threatened by the volcanic eruption, all necessary care and relief work for the affected communities and the eventual return of the evacuees to their homes.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Generoso Senga described the offer as "welcome news" as troops were continuing to assist families.

Although Senga said the military was already in "disaster operations" mode even without the declaration of a formal truce.

"It's standard operating procedure for the AFP that when there are disasters or calamities we drop everything and will prioritize assisting the people," he told reporters Wednesday.

The government earlier announced that Sorsogon province, where the volcano is situated, would be the focus, along with the provinces around Metro Manila, of stepped up military operations and development aid for two years aimed at defeating insurgents in these areas.

The Communist Party of the Philippines and its 7,400-member New People's Army, blacklisted by the United States and the European Union as terrorist organizations, have been waging a Maoist armed campaign for 37 years.

Arroyo shelved peace talks two years ago after the rebels refused a government demand for a nationwide ceasefire.

Phivolcs Misses Key Earthquake Data, Seismic Instrument Stolen Last Year

2006-06-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

By Juan Escandor Jr. (Inquirer)
Posted 03:27am (Mla time) June 21, 2006

SORSOGON CITY—The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) could have a made a more accurate forecast of Mt. Bulusan’s volcanic activity were its data complete. But one of its seismic instruments, planted on the upper slope of the volcano, was stolen in August last year, said a Phivolcs specialist.

Eduardo P. Laguardia, Bicol volcano monitoring coordinator, said yesterday that the stolen seismic instrument might have made a difference because it records localized tremors near the crater that could not be detected in other parts of the volcano.

He said the data from the stolen gadget could have helped Phivolcs make a more accurate forecast before Bulusan spewed ash on March 21.

Laguardia said they had to employ alternative means to fill in the data gap. For example, they supplemented the data taken from their seismic instruments with gas measurements to come up with a more accurate forecast.

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said evacuation was urgent.

“It’s important that the residents heed the government’s advice to evacuate. Conducting an aerial rescue mission if there’s an ash fall would be extremely difficult and risky,” Maj. Augusto dela Pena, PAF spokesperson, told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

De la Pena said that an Air Force rescue should be the “last resort” in case a major eruption takes place.

“If there would be any rescue missions, it would be for isolated cases already,” De la Pena said.

Army troopers have helped evacuate some 450 residents after Mt. Bulusan spewed ash and gravel over the weekend.

Another 100 villagers living near the slopes of the volcano have evacuated to a nearby high school but most of the men stayed behind to guard their homes, Mayor Edwin Hamor of nearby Casiguran town had said.

On Monday, authorities estimated more than 20,000 people face evacuation in case of a major eruption, and set out plans for erecting tent cities outside a 6-km radius of the volcano.

De la Pena said that two Air Force UH-1H Huey helicopters have been placed on standby in Legazpi City since last week.

The Air Force has also flown scientists from the Phivolcs for aerial surveys of Bulusan last Monday, the PAF spokesperson added.

Sorsogon Folk Brought To Safety

2006-06-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

By Juan Escandor Jr. (Inquirer)
Posted 03:25am (Mla time) June 21, 2006

SORSOGON CITY—The uncertainty over when Bulusan Volcano would erupt has driven residents in communities near the danger zone to seek the safety of evacuation centers.

Sheila Hebres, 26, a mother of five residing in Inlagadian, Casiguran, Sorsogon, said she and most of the families in their village opted to go and stay at the evacuation center because, she said, they felt that the situation was getting worse.

Hebres’ village is located in the southwestern portion of Bulusan.

“The earth’s movement is getting frequent and the roaring sound is becoming louder like an airplane booming underground. We are very frightened,” she said.

Hebres said most of the male residents stayed in their village to watch over pieces of property and to continue doing whatever work they could do.

She added that their vegetable crops were destroyed and that what they could harvest now were just root crops.

But on the other side of Bulusan, the northeastern side, residents there were not as worried about the impending eruption.

Carlito Pancho, 29, a farmer, lives seven hills away from one of the craters but, he said, they felt they were not in danger.

He said his wife and a new born baby were safe in their home in the eastern slope though they also felt the tremor prior to the volcano’s ash emissions.

Govt Gears Up For Bulusan Blast

2006-06-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

By Rhaydz B. Barcia, Sam Mediavilla, Mark Ivan Roblas and Al Jacinto
Saturday, June 17, 2006 (Manila Times)

The government at the local and national levels is looking at a worst-case scenario, with 1,565-meter-high Mount Bulusan spewing tons of ashes into the air. It is in fact considering Casiguran town some distance away as a relocation site for families who may be affected if the volcano would erupt as feared.

On Friday the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the Bulusan alert level from 2 to 3, following detection of high sulfur dioxide emission.

At least 80,000 families from six municipalities in the shadow of Mount Bulusan stand to be affected if the volcano should unleash its full fury. At immediate risk are six barangays in Bulusan, 13 in Barcelona, 10 in Casiguran, 22 in Juban, 8 in Irosin and 3 in Gubat.

President Arroyo is visiting Juban and Bulusan towns Saturday to check the extent of work done to prepare for possible disaster. She expects to be briefed by officials of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Office of the Civil Defense, as well as the provincial and local governments

The increased volcanic activity could mean, according to Noel Pura, executive director of PDCC-Sorsogon, that an eruption could occur anytime.

Eruption not likely soon
But Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said although the volcano had been showing signs of restlessness a major eruption could still be far away. Compared to the past six explosions in the past, the volcanic activities recorded, including ash discharges, were weaker this time.

Nevertheless, he told Sorsogon residents on Thursday to maintain at least a four-kilometer distance from the crater.

Some 63 public schools and other government buildings have been identified as immediate evacuation centers. The affected residents will be ferried by 190 government and private vehicles, mostly trucks.

For long-term evacuation, Mayor Edwin Hamor of Casiguran offered the former National Boy Scouts Jamboree site in his town. Casiguran lies some 12 kilometers away, far enough from the volcano’s fury. Moreover, water and power facilities are available.

Enough food and medicines
Gov. Raul Lee said that the province would not need immediate help from the national government, saying it had enough food and medicine for residents that may be affected.

Ernesto Corpus, chief of the volcano monitoring team dispatched to the area, said the readout of the first harmonic tremor confirms magma buildup toward the crater. But the team could only make an educated guess.

Corpus said his team’s work is hampered by the loss of an earthquake-detecting instrument on top of a slope in Irosin. Installed last year, the instrument was stolen promptly afterward.

The team could only deduce the presence of magma from the sulfur dioxide emission, which reached 949 tons a day in the past 24 hours. The high emission level was preceded by a short tremor. The normal level of emission is 500 tons a day.

“But determining how fast the magma could travel toward the surface, using the harmonic tremor as basis, remains an educated guesswork,” Corpus added.

Kanlaon emissions
In Negros, Mount Kanlaon, one of the country’s active volcanoes, has been emitting minor steam clouds and ashes since Wednesday and Thursday. But Phivolcs saw no immediate sign of eruption. Such volcanic activities, it added, are normal in the Philippine setting.

Henry Peñarubia, Phivolcs research specialist, allayed fears that the activities of Bulusan and Kanlaon are related to the recent eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia. He also said the increased activities of the two volcanoes had no connection with the mild earthquake in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

A shallow fault Friday morning generated an earthquake of magnitude 5 in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, and 4.5 in Zamboanga City.

The research specialist said earthquakes are a normal occurrence in this part of the world. The Philippines, he added, normally feels only five tremors a day, mostly in Surigao and the rest of the country’s eastern seaboard. Indonesia and Japan, on the other hand, experience more than 20 earthquakes a day.

Fairly strong quake
In December this year, a 5.7 magnitude temblor also jolted parts of Southern Philippines, including Zamboanga, Pagadian and Cotabato. The quake originated about 140 kilometers southwest of Sultan Kudarat.

In 1976 hundreds of people were killed when a tsunami, triggered by movement of plates in the Cotabato Trench, rolled over coastal towns in Mindanao.

The Philippines, with at least 22 active volcanoes, is part of the so-called ring of fire in the Pacific.

Bulusan Folk Moved; Danger Zone Widened

2006-06-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Posted 00:19am, June 20, 2006 (Inquirer)

ARMY troopers helped evacuate about 450 residents from the restive Mount Bulusan after the volcano spewed ash and gravel in a new explosion over the weekend, officials said Monday.

Scientists said they needed to gather more details and possibly conduct another aerial survey of Bulusan’s summit—the second in a week—before they can assess prospects of a major eruption.

Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said Sunday’s explosion belched ash up to two kilometers into the sky, accompanied by a number of mild tremors. No one was hurt and the volcano was reported quiet on Monday, officials said.

Local disaster relief official Noel Pura said about 350 residents were ferried by military trucks and government vehicles from villages close to the volcano in Juban and Irosin towns, 390 km southeast of Manila, to evacuation centers about 5 km away.

Mayor Edwin Hamor of nearby Casiguran town said another 100 villagers living near the slopes of the volcano moved to a high school, but that most of the men stayed behind to guard their homes and farms.

Authorities estimated more than 20,000 people face a possible evacuation in case of a major eruption, and set out plans for erecting tent cities outside a 6-km radius of the volcano.

Hamor said rains on Sunday night increased the danger of ash and debris falling from the volcano, prompting the evacuation of residents, who did not resist the move.

Bulusan’s recent ash and gas ejections indicated molten rocks called magma may be moving up within the volcano, but it wasn’t clear whether it would lead to a major eruption, Solidum said.

Last eruption
Its last major eruption was in 1994.

The Phivolcs advised local officials to expand to 5 km the radius of the danger zone.

Ernesto Corpuz, chief of volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division, said with the onset of the rainy season, residents face two grave dangers—ashfall and lahar flow.

Corpuz issued the advice as evacuation was ongoing in the towns of Juban and Casiguran.

As the rainy season progresses, the accumulated loose volcanic material, whether old or new, would be eroded, move and mix with rainwater which could form into hazardous lahar and torrential flows.

Sorsogon: LGUs Uncertain In Case Of Major Eruption

2006-06-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

By Juan Escandor Jr. (Inquirer)
Posted 00:22am, June 20, 2006

SORSOGON CITY—With no exact date for the big explosion, which the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said could be within a few months to a few years, local government units (LGUs) here face uncertainty in coping with the growing needs of disaster management for a long period.

Mayor Edwin Hamor of Casiguran said that as of yesterday, with the current resources they have—which included a calamity fund of P1.4 million, the LGU could only sustain for 15 days evacuees and the operation of response management.

But Hamor was optimistic that they could manage to overcome the challenges of the disaster response capabilities of the LGU in their town with donations from several agencies and institutions pouring in.

He said they have not yet spent a single centavo from the calamity fund because of the donations that came in earlier.

Hamor said they needed food, medicines and other donations that are relevant to the needs of the evacuees. He said clothes are last in the list of the town’s wish list.

Yesterday, 41 families were taken in here from the village of Inlagadian. The city government had to start spending for their daily food in the evacuation centers.

Disaster plans
The Inquirer obtained a disaster preparedness plan that details the specific actions and persons responsible in the event of a major eruption.

In Juban town, Mayor Marites Guab-Fragata revealed that they have only P1.2 million and that they would spend not only for the food of the evacuees but also for operational expenses like gasoline.

Guab-Fragata said they have already agreed on the details of the specific response plan of the town with two of its villages within the danger zone.

Sixty-six families are already housed in evacuation centers comprising 302 individuals.

In case of a major eruption, the Juban LGU has to feed at least 2,454 individuals from the two villages in the danger zone areas and they need at least P450 per family a day to feed the evacuees housed in schools.

She said the town started spending from the calamity fund yesterday and acknowledged the help of the provincial government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the provisions given them.

The Municipal Agriculture Office here has estimated that the March 21 ash explosion had damaged some P13 million worth of bananas, coconuts and other crops and that another P2.6 million was damaged as of yesterday.

Guab-Fragata said the LGU has no specific disaster response plan for Mt. Bulusan’s eruption but prepared a general plan for the town covering only typhoons and floods.

Exaggeration
But Manuel Olondres Jr., former mayor of Juban, Sorsogon, said media and some local officials were actually exaggerating the situation, which created fear and panic among the residents in their town.

“The things that we are experiencing now is not yet life threatening and if you watch the television and read the papers it looked as if it was the end-of-the-world situation when in fact it was not,” Olondres said.

He said his brothers and sisters in Manila had been calling him the whole day on Sunday worrying about them because of the reports in the media.

Olondres added that he observed that some politicians might be using the volcanic activity to spend the calamity fund and generate financial resources.

But Guab-Fragata, the political nemesis of Olondres, said she would want to spend as little of the calamity fund as possible so that it would be added to next year’s municipal budget.

She said she was only forced to announce the declaration of calamity, which was passed by the town council on March 22, because of the explosion that happened on June 13.

Guab-Fragata said the state of calamity was originally declared so that the LGU employees could avail of calamity loans.

In Irosin town, the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council here yesterday was also detailing their municipal response plan in case the situation worsens.

Mt. Bulusan Threatens Major Eruption Soon

2006-06-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

Legazpi City: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned on Friday that the eruption of Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon could prove hazardous to residents within the area. According to the government volcanologist Alex Baloloy, this is due to the frequency and increase in strength of Wednesday’s explosion.

In a press briefing held at the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol, Baloloy said that the last major eruption of Mount Bulusan took place in the 17th century.

“A possible magmatic or hazardous eruption might occur like that of Mount Pinatubo,” he said.

Baloloy recalled that in l978, l985, l994, and l995, Bulusan volcano exhibited phreatic explosions. Classified as a strata-type volcano, Mount Bulusan erupted at 8:17 p.m. Wednesday night and the activity continued up to yesterday morning.

The explosion generated a two-kilometer-high ashcloud beyond the summit, which drifted generally to the north and northwest of Casiguran town in Sorsogon. Light ashfall was reported at Inlagadian village of Casiguran, some five kilometers north of the volcano.

Mayor Boboy Amor of Casiguran told reporters that his town was seriously affected by ash residues from the eruption, prompting officials of the Department of Education in Casiguran to suspend classes at all levels.

Sorsogon Gov. Raul Lee said that ash residues were reported in Sorsogon City, about 20 kilometers north of the volcano, and in some villages of Juban, northwest of Bulusan. Arnel Capili, OCD regional director in Bicol, told The Times that a magmatic eruption would affect about 49,881 people in Irosin, Juban and Casiguran. “The moment the volcano erupts, some 5,849 persons will be in danger,” he added.

An earthquake occurred at 2:26 a.m. Tuesday, simultaneously with smaller eruptions. Two volcanic quakes were detected in the past 24 hours.

[Source]

High Frequency Quakes Hit Bulusan Area

2006-06-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Seismologists recorded two high frequency volcanic quakes during the past 24 hours near the Mount Bulusan area in Sorsogon, DZMM reported.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) said the tremors struck at Barangay Cabit-an.

PHILVOLCS said the first quake was recorded before 5 p.m. Saturday while the second took place past 12 a.m. Sunday.

The institute said both volcanic quakes were not felt by residents.
Scientists, however, said the tremors could indicate signs of what might happen in Bulusan in the next few days.

[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Update

2006-06-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

14 June 2006, 8:00 A.M.

Following the steam and ash explosion at 7:04 PM yesterday, small volcanic quakes occurred in Bulusan Volcano (12° 46.2’N, 124° 03’E). The nature of these micro-earthquakes suggests a shallow source beneath the volcano and may be associated with magmatic movement. Surface activity yesterday was characterized by moderate to voluminous volcanic gas emission from the western fissure but weak discharge from the active central summit vent. The release of Sulfur Dioxide contained in the volcanic plume was 423 tonnes/day (t/d), a slight increase from previous day’s 295 t/d.

Last night’s explosion and relatively voluminous ash emission indicated that Bulusan Volcano is undergoing a period of elevated unrest, distinct from the early explosions from March to May. As noted previously, Bulusan Volcano is producing more frequent outbursts in the past weeks. More ash explosions are expected in the near future considering the heightened level of activity. Alert Level 2 therefore remains in effect, which means that areas within four (4) kilometers of the summit should be avoided. PHIVOLCS suggests continuing precautions against heavy ashfall, especially on the northern portion of the volcano considering seasonal winds. As before, additional precautions should be observed for areas near river/stream channels because ash and other loose deposits from the upper slopes may be remobilized into hazardous lahars and similar volcanic flows.

[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Update

2006-06-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

13 June 2006, 11:30 PM

Bulusan Volcano (12° 46.2’N, 124° 03’E) exploded at 7:04 PM today. The explosion produced an ash and steam cloud, which rose to about 1.5 kilometers above the volcano’s summit and drifted northwest of the volcano. Heavy ashfall (at least 7. 0 mm thick) affected Barangays Aroroy, Mabini and Añog (in Juban) while ashfall up to 1.0 mm thick affected Barangay Bacolod and south of Poblacion of Juban. Traces of ash deposits were noted in Barangay San Juan of Casiguran. The ash explosion was recorded for about 13 minutes by all monitoring stations around the volcano although no volcanic earthquake preceded the explosion event.

As noted previously, Bulusan Volcano is producing more frequent outbursts in the past weeks. Alert Level 2 therefore remains in effect, which means that the area within four (4) kilometers of the summit is strictly off-limits. Ashfall from subsequent eruptions is generally expected to affect the northern portions of the volcano due to prevailing wind patterns. As before, additional precautions should be observed for areas near river channels because ash and other loose deposits from the upper slopes may be remobilized into hazardous lahars and similar volcanic flows.

[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Update

2006-06-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

10 June 2006, 8:00 A.M.

An ash explosion occurred at 12:18 A.M. from the summit crater of Bulusan Volcano (12° 46’N, 124° 03’E). The explosion produced an ash and steam cloud which rose to about one (1) kilometer above the volcano’s summit and drifted generally Northeast and East affecting mainly Barangays San Isidro, Sta. Barbara, Buang and Purog in Bulusan Municipality. The initial ash explosion was recorded by all monitoring stations around the volcano although no volcanic earthquake preceded the explosion event.

This is the 6th explosion to occur since Bulusan Volcano spewed ashes last 21 March. Since then, PHIVOLCS has noted the increasing frequency in ash emissions and expects more explosions to occur. Alert Level 2 remains in effect which means that the area within four (4) kilometers of the summit is off-limits. In addition, areas within the Northeast and Eastern sectors should expect more ashfall with succeeding explosions due to prevailing winds. As before, additional precautions should be observed for areas near river channels because ash and other loose deposits from the upper slopes may be remobilized into life-threatening volcanic flows.

[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Update

2006-06-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

08 June 2006, 8:30 AM

This bulletin provides more complete information on the eruption that occurred at 8:17 PM yesterday and the activity up to this morning. The explosion generated ash cloud which drifted generally to the north and northwest. Light ashfall was reported at Inlagadian, Municipality of Casiguran 5 kilometers north of the volcano, while trace ashfalls were noticed in Sorsogon City, about 20 kilometers north of Bulusan Volcano. Some ash were also noticed over some barangays of Juban, northwest of Bulusan. Following the 8:17 PM explosion yesterday, a smaller explosion earthquake occurred at 2:26 AM today although no considerable ash was produced from this event. Overall, only two volcanic quakes were detected in the past 24 hours. The explosions therefore are likely tapping a very shallow heat source within the volcano edifice.

PHIVOLCS expects more explosions to occur, considering past eruption episodes which span from one to several months. However, due to the apparent increase in the frequency and strength of previous explosions, there is a possibility of life threatening volcanic flows. In this regard, PHIVOLCS maintains Alert Level 2 to indicate elevated activity, which may produce hazardous magmatic eruption. This alert status strictly restricts entry within four (4) kilometers of the summit area because sudden explosions may occur. Areas beyond this Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) may be included depending on the nature of anticipated activity. PHIVOLCS also reminds the public to avoid gullies which lead to the middle and upper slopes because hazardous lahars and related volcanic flows may be channeled to areas beyond the PDZ.

[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Update

2006-06-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

07 June 2006, 11:30 PM

After the ash explosion that occurred at 4:17 PM of 31 May 2006, Bulusan Volcano (12o46.2’N, 124o03’E) produced another episode of ash emission which began on 8:17 PM and lasted until 8:30 PM today. The explosion generated an ash and steam cloud that rose to about 2 kilometers above the volcano’s summit as observed from San Benon-Monbon area. The initial ash explosion was recorded by the monitoring stations around the volcano. Seismic records indicated that no volcanic earthquake preceded the explosion event. No damage was reported from the volcanic explosion and only light traces of ash affected the north, west and southwest sectors of the volcano. Initial investigation showed that areas which experienced the light ashfalls were the municipalities of Casiguran, Sankayon in Juban, Gulang-gulang and Bolos in Irosin, Sorsogon.

This most recent explosion is the 5th in a series of ash and steam-driven explosions this year after reactivation of Bulusan Volcano on March 21. These explosions appear to be increasing in frequency and it is the general observation that this volcanic activity reflects intrusion and ascent of magma. In support of this assertion is the possible presence of glass particles in ash retrieved from the May 25 ash emission.

With a general increasing trend of volcanic activity and the likely involvement of magma as the cause of the volcano’s recent explosions, PHIVOLCS is now raising the alert status of Bulusan Volcano from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2. This alert condition signifies a continuing state of unrest which could lead to more frequent ash explosions or to hazardous magmatic eruption. With Alert Level 2, PHIVOLCS strongly recommends no entry within the four (4) kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) to minimize risks associated with volcanic flows and effects of explosions. River channels draining the upper slopes should also be avoided especially during heavy rains because life-threatening lahars may occur in these areas.

[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Update

2006-06-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

31 May 2006, 6:30 PM

Bulusan Volcano (12°46.2’N, 124°03’E) produced a mild ash explosion at 4:17 PM today (local time). The ash ejection generated an ash and steam cloud that attained an approximate height of 1.5 km above the volcano's summit. The brief ash burst was recorded by all three monitoring stations around the volcano as an explosion-type earthquake. Preliminary analysis of the seismic record indicated that no volcanic earthquake preceded the explosion event. At this time, no damage has been reported associated with the volcanic explosion. Wind drifts are generally to the west and west-northwest of the volcano. Investigation showed that areas affected by light ashfalls (0.5 to 1.5 mm thickness) and traces were barangays/sitios Puting Sapa, Sangkayon, Bacolod, Caladgao and Bura-buran in Juban and barangays Cogon and Bolos in Irosin, Sorsogon.

Today's explosion is the 4th in a series of ash and steam-driven eruptions since Bulusan Volcano became restive when an earthquake swarm occurred on 19 March this year. PHIVOLCS believes that more ash explosions may be expected in view of other protracted activity in recent history and generally elevated earthquake occurrences from the volcano. Alert Level 1 therefore remains hoisted which means that the public is advised not to venture within 4 kilometers of the summit. PHIVOLCS is closely monitoring the situation and shall relay and update all concerned on significant developments as they occur.
[Source]

Bulusan Volcano Showers Ash On Surrounding Villages

2006-06-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

By Agence France-Presse
Philippine Daily Inquirer / June 08, 2006

LEGASPI -- Mount Bulusan spewed a column of ash two kilometers into the night sky on Wednesday, showering surrounding villages in ash, vulcanologists said early Thursday.
The eruption inside Mount Bulusan, some 600 kilometers southeast of Manila, was caused by a build-up of steam, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Vulcanology (Phivolcs) said.

There were no reports of casualties or damage in the villages around the volcano in Sorsogan province.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the explosion happened at 8:17 pm (1217 GMT) sending a cloud of ash two kilometres into the sky.

There was no sign of lava in the 5,133-foot volcano and the government is not raising the alert level around the mountain.

It was the fifth ash explosion from Mount Bulusan since March when the volcano began showing signs of activity. The last explosion occurred on May 31.

The volcano began showing signs of renewed activity on March 19 following a mild earthquake in the area.

Phivolcs alert level one remains hoisted which means that the public is advised not to venture within four kilometers of the summit.

Mount Bulusan forms part of the Bicol volcanic chain, which is sometimes called the volcanic belt, and is composed of active and geologically young volcanos.

The earliest recorded eruption of Mount Bulusan was in 1852.

Volcano In Philippines Spews Ash

2006-06-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

MANILA (Reuters) - A restive volcano in the central Philippines spewed a column of ash at least 1 km (0.6 mile) into the sky before dawn on Saturday, raising concern of an eruption in the days ahead.

There were two minor explosions of Bulusan volcano in the Bicol region, but there was no sign of laval flow, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.

Ernesto Corpuz, one of the institute's chief monitoring scientists, said Bulusan's activity had been increasing and more explosions and ash falls were likely in the coming days.
"Our monitoring indicates magma is rising to the surface," said Corpuz, referring to hot molten rock inside the volcano.

However, he told reporters that the institute could not predict when a major eruption would occur, and it was for now keeping its alert level at 2 on a scale from 1 to 5.

At level 3 an explosion is considered possible, at level 4 it is seen as likely and at level 5 an eruption has occurred with lava flows or ash columns reaching 6 km (3.75 miles).

Bulusan, one of the six most active volcanoes in the Philippines, has had five ash eruptions since March.

Officials have warned residents in three towns of Sorsogon province not to venture within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the 1,559-metre (5,246-foot) volcano because of the risk of sudden explosions.

Casiguran town, on Bulusan's northern slopes, was declared under a state of calamity on Friday after ash damaged houses, crops and fish ponds and forced schools to close.

Like neighbouring Indonesia, the Philippines lies in an area of the Pacific basin vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Mount Pinatubo, on Luzon island in the northern Philippines, erupted in 1991 after lying dormant for 600 years. That eruption buried dozens of villages under tonnes of mud and more than 800 people died, mostly from diseases in crowded evacuation camps.

[Source]

Mount Bulusan Gets Alert Level 1

2006-06-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

By Mark Ivan Roblas (Manila Times, 03/21/06)

SORSOGON CITY: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has placed Mount Bulusan on alert level one after it showed increased restiveness Sunday morning.

Renato Solidum, Phivolcs director, said under normal conditions, the volcano only records five or less number of quakes.

Solidum said there was a significant increase in seismicity at Bulusan since last year and an increase in steam emission on March 3 this year.

He said they expect steam-driven and “phreatic” explosions to occur with the volcano’s increased seismic activity.

“If the present earthquake activity persists in the coming days, the possibility of explosions greatly increases so that the four-kilometer radius PDZ may be extended accordingly,” he added.

Volcanologist Bella Tuvianosa said 73 low- and high-frequency volcanic quakes were monitored from the volcano starting 5 a.m. Sunday.

“No cause for alarm, however, and even if it erupts, we do not expect casualty on humans as the four-kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano is devoid of residents,” Tuvianosa said

Mountain climbers, farmers, animal hunters or orchid gatherers venturing within the zone will be warned, she assured the public.

The main Mount Bulusan monitoring station is located about 30 kilometers from its foot, in Barangay Cabidan here.

The volcano last erupted in 1995. It sits between the municipalities of Bulusan, Casiguran, Irosin, Juban and Barcelona in the province of Sorsogon.

Nearby Mount Mayon, also an active volcano which had been showing signs of restiveness for the past two years, has been placed under alert level two.

Mayon Volcano

2006-06-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia

Mayon Volcano found in the Philippines. It is located in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region. It has an almost perfectly-shaped cone which is considered by many people to be more beautiful than Mount Fuji in Japan. A few kilometers to the south of the volcano is Legazpi City.

Mayon Volcano is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano). Its symmetric cone was formed through alternate pyroclastic and lava flows. Mayon is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted around 50 times for the past 400 years.

The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa and 1,200 people perished. Only the belltower of the town church remained. It is located between the Eurasian and the Philippine Plate and is a destructive plate boundary. Where a continental plate meets an oceanic plate it forces the denser oceanic plate down, pushing magma up.

From Phivolcs

PHYSICAL FEATURES
Elevation: 2.46 km
Base Diameter: 20 km
Base Circumference: 62.8 km (reckoned from 10-km radius) encompassing the towns of Camalig, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo
Area: 314.1 km2 (estimated from 62.8 km base circumference)
Type of Volcano: Stratovolcano
Adjacent Volcanic Edifice: Mt. Malinao, Lignon Hill and Balong Gloria Hill

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
Rock Type: Basalt to Olivine-bearing Pyroxene Andesite
Tectonic Setting: Bicol Volcanic Chain

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY
Number of Historical Eruptions: 47
Latest Eruption/Activity:
01 June 2001 (mild eruption – quiet effusion of lava)
23 June 2001 (Strombolian-explosive but not hazardous)
24 June 2001 (Vulcanian-hazardous eruption )
26 July 2001 (Vulcanian-hazardous eruption)

Eruption Type:
1. Strombolian (e.g.. 1978, 1st phase of 1984 eruption)
2. Vulcanian (e.g. 1st phase of 1968 eruption, 2nd phase of 1984 eruption)
3. Plinian (e.g. 1814)

Precursors to Eruptions:
1. Increase in seismicity level (Background: 0-10 volcanic quakes per day)
2. Ground tilt due to magma intrusion.
3. Change in color of steam emission from white to gray due to entrained ash
4. Increase in the volume of steam emission
5. Crater glow due to presence of magma at or near the crater.
6. Rumbling sounds due to gas explosions, wall fracturing, landslides

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
Type of Hazards:
1. Airfall tephra
2. Lava flows
3. Pyroclastic flows
4. Lahars
Permanent Danger Zone: six (6) km radius from the summit

MONITORING ACTIVITY
Volcano Observatory: Lignon Hill Observatory (LHO) - 12 km SSE of the summit (123°43.56’ E, 13°09.64’N)

Monitoring Methods:
1. Seismic monitoring (number of volcanic quakes and tremors)
2. Ground deformation (precise leveling, electronic tilt, GPS)
3. Visual observations
4. Sulfur dioxide emission rate (by COSPEC)
5. Water well monitoring

Monitoring Stations
A - Seismic Network
· Digital Permanent: Lignon Hill Observatory, Upper Anoling, Upper Sta. Misericordia and Mayon Rest House with repeater sites at Mt. Bariw, Upper Sto. Domingo and Tabaco
· Digital Mobile: Upper Mayon Rest House, Upper Masarawag and Lignon Hill Observatory with repeater sites at Ligao and Camalig
· Analog: Upper Anoling

B - Ground Deformation
· Precise leveling lines: Buang Junction to Mayon Rest House (20 benchmarks); Lidong (13 benchmarks) and Anoling
· GPS stations: Legazpi (Lignon Hill), Sto. Domingo (San Andres), Malilipot (Calbayog), Tabaco (MRH), Malinao, Ligao (Nabonton) and Camalig (Upper Anoling, Tinago, and Palanog)
· Permanent Electronic tilt: Upper Anoling, Buang and Mayon Rest House
· Mobile electronic tilt: Upper Anoling, Lower Anoling and Upper MRHO

Mount Bulusan

2006-06-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia

Mount Bulusan, or Bulusan Volcano, is the southernmost volcano on Luzon Island in the Philippines. It is found in the province of Sorsogon in the Bicol region (12°46.2'N, 124°03'E), 70 km southeast of Mayon Volcano and approximately 250 km southeast of the Philippine capital of Manila.

Bulusan is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano) inside a caldera that was formed about 40,000 before the present. It has an elevation of 1,565 meters above sea level and a base diameter of 15 km.

It has four craters and four hot springs. Crater No. 1, called Blackbird Lake, is 20 m in diameter and 15 m deep. The oval Crater No. 2 is 60 m by 30 m and 15 m deep. Crater No. 3 is about 90 m in diameter and 20 m deep and Crater No. 4, which is near the northeastern, rim opened during the 1981 eruption. There is also a 100-meter fissure measuring 5 to 8 m wide below Crater No. 4.

Its hot springs are San Benon Springs, Mapaso Springs, San Vicente Springs, Masacrot Springs

Its adjacent volcanic edifices are Mt. Homahan, Mt. Binitacan, Mt. Batuan, Mt. Calungalan, Mt. Calaunan, Mt. Tabon-Tabon, Mt. Juban and Mt. Jormajan.

Bulusan has erupted 15 times since 1886.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) declared Alert Level 1 on March 19, 2006 after it recorded increased seismic unrest. On June 8, 2006, volcanologists raised Alert Level 2 (moderate level of seismic unrest) after it spewed ash. On June 9, the resulting ash cloud damaged a number of houses in the nearby town of Casiguran, 5 kms north of the volcano, and reached Sorsogon City, about 20 kilometers north of Bulusan.

Bulusan is generally known for its sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions and is one of the 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines, part of the so-called "Pacific ring of fire" made up of islands created by volcanic activity on the Western Pacific.

From Phivolcs

PHYSICAL FEATURES
Elevation: 1.559 km
Base Diameter: 15 km
Type of Volcano: Stratovolcano formed inside a caldera
Hotsprings: San Benon Springs, Mapaso Springs, San Vicente Springs, Masacrot Springs
Craters and Fissure:
1. Crater No. 1 or Blackbird Lake - 20 m in diameter and 15 m deep
2. Crater No. 2 - roughly oval in shape, 60 m by 30 m and 15 m deep
3. Crater No. 3 - approximately 90 m in diameter and 20 m deep
4. Crater No. 4 - near the NE rim, opened during the 1981 eruption

Fissure - located below Crater No. 4, measuring 5 to 8 m wide and about 100 m long
Adjacent Volcanic Edifice: Mt. Homahan, Mt. Binitacan, Mt. Batuan, Mt. Calungalan, Mt. Calaunan, Mt. Tabon-Tabon, Mt. Juban and Mt. Jormajan

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
Rock Type: Two-pyroxene andesite in Bulusan, dacite associated with caldera
Tectonic Setting: Bicol Volcanic Chain
Age of Deposits:
a) 1500±300 years ( located at 12°45'N, 124°04'E)
b) 5,480±150 years ( located at Mapaso Stream Valley, 12°45'N, 124°04'E)
c) 5,800±100 years (located at a trail leading to Inlagadian, Casiguran, 12°49'N, 124°03'E)
d) 33,500±1,500 years (located at Magallanes Road, Juban, NW of Bulusan Volcano, 12°49'N, 123°58'E, sample taken from 30-40 m thick Irosin Caldera ashflow sheet)
SOURCE: Newhall, C. and Cruz, J. (Unpublished data)

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY
Number of Historical Eruptions: 15
Latest Eruption/Activity: 1994 November 27 - 1995 January

Eruption Type:
1. Phreatic (e.g. 1918-1922, 1980)
2. Strombolian (e.g. 1918-1919)
3. Caldera-forming (e.g. 40,000 YBP)

Precursors to Eruption:
1. Increase in the frequency of volcanic quakes with rumbling sounds
2. Increased steaming activity
3. Noticeable increase in the extent of drying up of vegetation around the volcano's upper slopes
4. Variation in the temperature of hot springs at San Benon
5. Rumbling sound
6. Increased amount of whitish to yellowish deposits of sulfur sublimates at NNW portion of the crater

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
Type of Hazards:
1. Pyroclastic flows (hot blasts, hot avalanche)
2. Lava flows
3. Lahars
4. Ashfall
Permanent Danger Zone: Four (4) km radius from the summit
Other Buffer Zones: 4 to 10 km from the summit (Probable Danger Zone)

MONITORING ACTIVITY
Volcano Observatory: Bulusan Volcano Observatory, Cabid-an, Sorsogon City
Monitored Methods:
1. Seismic
2. Ground deformation – precise leveling, electronic distance measurement (EDM), tilt
3. Hotspring temperature and flow rate measurements
4. Visual observations – steaming activity and other visually observed phenomena

Monitoring Stations:
A - Seismic Network
· Bulusan Volcano Observatory, Sorsogon City (VBN)
· Upper Inlagadian Hill Seismic Station (VBIH)
· Upper Mayong Payong Hill Seismic Station (VBMH)
· Mt. Jormajan Repeater Site (VBRJJ)
· Upper San Roque Seismic Station (VBSR)
· Salvacion Slope Repeater Site (VBSS)

B - Ground Deformation Network
· EDM : Survey lines at Salvacion-Hinde and Aniog-Lower Slope
· PRECISE LEVELING: Survey line at Mapaso
· TILT MEASUREMENT (wet) - San Benon