What was in Mayon’s ash-cloud?

22 July 2006

By Ephraim Aguilar
PDI Southern Luzon Bureau

STO. DOMINGO, Albay—THURSday’s mushroom-shaped ash-cloud spooked residents living in two villages at the foot of Mayon volcano. Now the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has collected ash samples deposited on plant leaves in Barangay Fidel Surtida here, to subject them to scientific study.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said there was a need to document the composition of materials from the volcano to see if there were any changes.

“When we saw the huge ash cloud falling down the slope, we feared the volcano might explode, so we packed our things, secured the children in the family, and ran away,” said housewife Marissa Tolibas.

Tolibas, 24, of Barangay Lidong, was one of those who built temporary shelters at Sitio Suhoton in Barangay Calayucay after lava fragments collapsed on the slope of Mt. Mayon at 8 a.m. Thursday.

A Phivolcs bulletin issued yesterday morning said there was a continuing extrusion of lava from the summit crater of Mayon in the last 24-hour observation period.

A main lava flow had changed its course toward Mabinit Channel but some small flows were also seen along the Bonga Gully, the bulletin added.

Alert level 3 remains raised, which means residents just beyond the Permanent Danger Zone, especially in the southeast portion and facing Bonga Gully, should stay vigilant against the probability of an eruption and life-threatening pyroclastic flows.