Manila: Raising Mayon Volcano's alert status to Level 3 is unlikely for now, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Friday: Raising Mayon Volcano's alert status to Level 3 is unlikely for now, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Friday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol stated, "As of today, we are not seeing clear and sustained indicators to raise the alert to Level 3." Phivolcs recorded 43 rockfall events at Mayon Volcano from 12 a.m. January 1 to 12 a.m. January 2, which is slightly lower than the 47 events recorded from December 31, 2025, to January 1.

Bacolcol mentioned that if an escalation of parameters is observed, the alert level may be raised to 3. This assessment would be conducted on a daily basis. Phivolcs had previously raised Mayon's alert status from Level 1, indicating low-level unrest, to Level 2, signifying an increasing or moderate level of unrest, due to a sharp increase in rockfall events and continued inflation of the volcano's edifice.

The increased rockfalls are attributed to the upward movement of hot material inside the volcano, which destabilizes the summit dome and older lava deposits, explained Bacolcol. Due to Mayon's steep slopes, these materials break off easily, resulting in rockfall events. Such activity indicates internal unrest and could potentially lead to increased rockfalls and pyroclastic density currents.