The most active volcano in the Philippines is well known for its perfect cone shape which actually signals how dangerous the volcano can be. Its geology and location could soon combine in explosive, and deadly fashion. The current disaster, volcano is on the Mount Mayon located in the city of Lagazpi, Albay Province at the South of Manila.
Magma swelled under the Mount Mayon volcano in the Philippines last month as a column of ash more than a mile high spewed out, leading to evacuation of tens of thousands of the village residents. It has erupted 50 times in the past 500 years, its current eruption has been slow so far and it began on January 13.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, PHIVOLCS last month when the eruption began, the Mount Mayon has erupted fountains of lava into the air which made the residents of the village forcefully evacuated. PHIVOLCS updated its threat level to 4, meaning that a hazardous eruption is possible and it can raise the threat level to 5.
It has been 34 days since the Mayon Volcano began erupting. Two days ago, the PHIVOLCS reported that the Mount Mayon has already spewed 82 million cubic metres of lava, the biggest volume ever since 1960. They reported the volcano is slowly calming down based on the white smoke from the crater of Mayon.
"If the sulfur oxide stops coming out, this means that the crater is blocked. The gas cannot go out and it builds pressure within," said PHIVOLCS Region 5 Spokesperson, Paul Alanis two days ago.
The agency believes the white smoke emitted from the mount is a sign of a lessened threat although it is not a discounting possibility of a massive eruption.
The Department of Agriculture, DA reported that over 9,000 farmers' produces, most especially vegetables in over 7,000 hectares of the province are affected by the volcano ashfall raising to over P198,000,000 and it will be dangerous if the ashfall continues as vegetables are expensively sold in the Province.