Mayon Volcano in Albay province erupted Friday morning, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the mountain from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3 on a 0-to-5 scale^2,3. Al Jazeera said authorities raised the alert to Level 3¹.

Phivolcs said a moderately explosive eruption began at 11:53 a.m. Philippine time and produced an ash plume about 3,000 meters above the crater³. Arab News, carrying AFP, said the blast lasted nearly six minutes and that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in surrounding towns². Al Jazeera also reported ash plumes 3,000 metres above the summit¹.

The institute said Mayon had entered a new magmatic eruption phase, with higher chances of lava flows and hazardous pyroclastic density currents on the upper to middle slopes in the coming days to weeks^2,3. It recommended evacuation of the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone because of pyroclastic flows, lava, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards^2,3. Arab News said planes were advised to avoid flying close to the mountain².

Rappler said Phivolcs warned Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and adjacent Albay municipalities to expect ashfall as the plume drifted³. Arab News said the column drifted southwest onto nearby population centers².

Mayon, a 2,462-meter cone about 330 kilometers southeast of Manila, is among the country’s most active volcanoes². Rappler said the volcano had been at Alert Level 2 since Aug. 5 after months at Level 3 earlier in 2026³. Arab News noted that more than 12,000 people were moved from lower slopes during unrest in June 2023².

What remains unclear is how many people are inside the danger zone now, whether local governments have completed evacuations, and whether further explosions will follow.