Philippines raises alert level at restive Mayon volcano

January 6, 2026 – 3:26 PM

Mayon Volcano Alert Level 3 will be raised due to onset of dome collapse pyroclastic density current (PDC) or “uson”. (Phivolcs via X)

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Philippines

on Tuesday raised its alert

level

for the Mayon volcano in

the central province of Albay

, warning of “potential explosive activity” in the coming days or weeks and advising people to stay

outside

of a 6-kilometre (3.7 miles) danger zone.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, also known as Phivolcs, raised the alert to level

three

on a five-level scale, which means magma is pushing up inside the volcano

forming a lava dome at the summit.

Mayon is the most active of 22 volcanoes in the

Philippines

, having erupted more than 50 times in the last four centuries. Its last magmatic eruption was in June 2023 when it spewed lava and noxious gases.

The most destructive eruption came in February 1841 when lava flows buried

entire

town and killed 1,200 people.

Philippines

lies on the “Ring of Fire”, a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes.

Phivolcs urged civil aviation authorities to advise pilots to avoid flying near Mayon’s summit because ash from a sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.

Since January 1, 2026, PHIVOLCS has recorded 346 rockfalls and 4 volcanic earthquakes, compared to 599 rockfalls in November–December 2025.

—Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway