LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines - Volcanologists here warned anew local and foreign tourists from climbing the slopes of Mayon Volcano in Albay due to the resurging rockfall events recorded in the past days as the crater glow also turned more visible.
Alex Baloloy, resident volcanologist here of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said that rockfall-triggered tremors of at least up to five times a day were recorded in the past days, a dangerous condition for climbers who are confirmed to be trekking the volcano's upper slopes.
"We would like to reiterate our warning to those climbers as well as tourist guides not to get near the upper slopes because falling rocks could just hit them at great force and velocity unexpectedly," Baloloy said.
Phivolcs reiterated the warning at least five months after Mayon's alert level was lowered to 1 in January, preceded by a month-long restiveness in December that forced over 10,000 families to take refuge into safer grounds.
Baloloy said that the more visible crater glow could have been attracting more tourists to climb Mayon and watch its glowing summit at a closer viewing distance.
He said that though a more visible crater glow is being observed, Mayon's alert remains at level 1, saying that it is not yet accompanied by other intensifying abnormal behavior.
Mayon's foothill residents confirmed that hundreds of local and foreign tourists are trekking the volcano after authorities removed the earlier set up checkpoints and lowered the cone-shaped mountain's five-scale alert level to the lowest 1.
Baloloy said the safest and nearest viewing sites of Mayon's glowing crater is at the Mayon Resthouse in Barangay Buang, Tabaco City.
Tourists continue to have a close watch of the old lava deposit in Barangay Mabinit in Legazpi City, and the new lava deposit in Barangay Padang in Legazpi CIty and Barangay Lidong in Sto. Domingo. - By Cet Dematera
