Just as the country welcomed the New Year.
In its advisory at 6:00 am on Thursday, January 1, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismomlogy (PHIVOLCS) announced that it is raising the alert level on Mayon Volcano in Albay from Level 1 to 2.
According to the state volcanology bureau, it comes after they recorded a total of 47 rockfall events on December 31, 2025, the highest incidence in a single day for the past year.
Prior to that, the PHIVOLCS disclosed that since November 2025, an increase in rockfall shed by the summit lava dome of Mayon Volcano has been recorded by visual and seismic monitors of the Mayon Volcano Network, with a total of 599 rockfall events detected in the last two months of 2025—averaging 10 events/day.
But in the last week of December 2025 alone, the average rockfall increased to 21 events/day.
“Increased rockfall at Mayon has been a precursory sign of magmatic dome growth within the upper edifice preceding an eruption, similar to conditions before the 2023 eruption,” the bureau noted.
It continued, “Likewise, current unrest has exhibited no significant volcanic earthquake or sulfur dioxide anomalies, but in contrast to 2023, ground deformation parameters have been anomalous for almost 18 months.”
PHIVOLCS also shared that long-term ground deformation data based on EDM, continuous GPS, and electronic tilt monitoring indicate that the Mayon edifice, particularly its eastern to northeastern slopes, has been swelling or inflating since June 2024 while short-term swelling or inflation on the western to southwestern slopes also began in May 2025.
“Persistent and increasing rockfall, coupled with long- to short-term swelling of the edifice, may indicate increased chances of an eruption occurring at the summit of Mayon, generating life-threatening volcanic hazards that may impact surrounding communities,” it said.
In line with this, the agency moved to raise the Alert Level of Mayon Volcano from Level 1 (low-level unrest) to Level 2 (increasing/moderate level of unrest).
“This means that there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could lead to hazardous magmatic eruption,” adding that the public is strongly advised to be vigilant and refrain from entering the six kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ).
That is to minimize risks from sudden explosions, pyroclastic density currents (PDC) or uson, rockfall, landslides and ballistic projectiles.
Local government units have also been told to prepare communities within the PDC hazard zone for subsequent evacuation in case unrest suddenly escalates and the Alert Level is further raised.
Civil aviation authorities, meanwhile, must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash and ballistic fragments from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
“DOST-PHIVOLCS maintains close monitoring of Mayon Volcano and any new development will be communicated to all concemed stakeholders,” the statement ended.
