The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised Mayon Volcano to Alert Level 2 at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 1, due to increasing volcanic activity.

PHIVOLCS said its monitoring instruments recorded a rise in rockfall events from the summit lava dome starting November 2025.

A total of 599 rockfall events were logged in the last two months of 2025, averaging 10 events per day. Still, activity intensified in the final week of December with an average of 21 events daily.

On December 31 alone, 47 rockfall events were recorded, the highest in a single day over the past year.

The agency noted that increased rockfall has previously served as a precursor to magmatic dome growth, similar to conditions before Mayon’s 2023 eruption.

While no significant volcanic earthquakes or sulfur dioxide anomalies have been detected, ground deformation has remained anomalous for nearly 18 months, indicating swelling of the volcano’s edifice.

Alert Level 2 indicates moderate unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could lead to a hazardous eruption.

PHIVOLCS advised the public to stay alert and avoid the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone, while local government units were urged to prepare for possible evacuations should activity escalate.