Mt. Bulusan spews ash anew, Phivolcs says

UPDATED 11:00 a.m. - Restive Mt. Bulusan (also known as Bulusan Volcano) in Bicol spewed ash anew early on Monday and authorities are watching out for black smoke to emerge from the volcano as a signal to evacuate residents from the area. A report by radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo cited initial information from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) that the explosion occurred at 6:46 a.m. and lasted for five minutes. Mateo also reported that the incident prompted local officials in some areas around the volcano to distribute gas masks to residents. Phivolcs data also indicated at least 28 volcanic quakes and 120 tons per day of sulfur dioxide had been recorded in the last 24 hours. Phivolcs also said it expects more explosions to occur because of the volcano’s recent reactivation. It reminded residents Alert Level 1 remains in effect at Bulusan, even as areas within four kilometers of the summit has been designated a permanent danger zone. "(This means the) public is strongly advised not to venture inside this area because it may be affected by sudden steam explosions," it said. Phivolcs also dispatched its Quick Response Team to augment the monitoring networks around the volcano. It advised people residing near valleys and streams are also advised to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows in the event of heavy and continuous rainfall. Last Saturday, Phivolcs raised the alert level at Bulusan from 0 to 1 after the volcano spewed ash. Phivolcs data also indicated that at least 28 volcanic quakes and 120 tons per day of sulfur dioxide had been recorded in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said it is ready to evacuate residents from their homes once smoke from Bulusan turns black. On Saturday, Phivolcs raised the alert level at Bulusan from 0 to 1 after the volcano spewed ash. Also on Saturday, NDRRMC said local and national agencies are now coordinating their plans to protect residents in six towns - Juban, Irosin, Casiguran, Gubat, Barcelona and Busulan. "Wala pa ngayong advisory ilikas sila dahil okay pa naman ang usok, puti pa. Pag nag-itim yan ang indication lumikas na tayo preemptive evacuation," NDRRMC head Benito Ramos said in an interview on dzBB radio Monday. (We have no advisory yet to evacuate other residents as the smoke from the volcano is still white. When it becomes black, that is the time we will take preemptive action.) He said the Army's Infantry Battalion in the area had been on alert and is ready to evacuate residents with 6 by 6 dump trucks provided by local governments. At least 34 families or 205 people near Bulusan were evacuated at 6 p.m. on Saturday, the NDRRMC said in its 10 p.m. Sunday update. The families were from Casiguran town, one of the areas that Phivolcs said would likely be affected by Bulusan. These included:

27 families (or 170 people) from Inlagadian village, who were brought to Escuala Elementary School, and

seven families (or 35 people) from San Juan village to San Juan Elementary School. Phivolcs wary of thieves stealing instruments Meanwhile, Philvolcs seismologists recounted that in 2006 some thieves stole their monitoring equipment in Bulusan. “Noong unang panahon noong 2006, sana ay wala nang sumunod. Matagal nang hindi na nangyayari yan at salamat naman. Naintindihan siguro ng ating kababayan ang kahalagahan ng instrumento," Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said in an interview on dwIZ radio. (Our last bad experience with people stealing our equipment was in 2006. We hope this will not happen again. We hope residents appreciate the value of the monitoring instruments there.) Solidum said they had had problems monitoring Bulusan in 2006 when thieves stole the monitoring equipment Phivolcs placed in strategic areas near the volcano. At the time, he said they could not accurately measure the volcano’s activity because of the missing instruments. “Wala naman silang gagamitan doon except ang bakal o minsan ang kuryente, ang cable (Thieves will have no use for the equipment except as scrap metal and cable)," he said. –VVP, GMANews.TV