Amid heightened activities of Mayon Volcano this early January, a video showing its 2018 eruption is being circulated online with the wrong context.
On Jan. 6, a Facebook page uploaded a 10-second clip showing the volcano in Legazpi, Albay erupting and spewing a huge ash plume. The post bore the caption:
“Kuhang kuha ang acutual (sic) na pag sabog ng Mayon Volcano (The actual eruption of Mayon Volcano was perfectly captured). #faith #spiritualgrowth #prayer #spirituality #responsibledrinking #god #safety #faithingod #wellness #publicserviceannouncement.”
The video also bore the text:
“Grabe ang actual na pag sabog [ng] Mayon Volcano (The actual eruption of Mayon Volcano was severe).”
This is false. The eruption shown in the circulating video occurred in 2018. While Mayon Volcano’s unrest is currently intensifying, the clip is not an accurate depiction of its activities recorded this month.
The first frame of the video matches a picture of the volcano taken on Jan. 24, 2018 by Charism Sayat, a photojournalist who contributes images to Agence France-Presse. A part of the photo’s description on the site read:
“This photo taken from a drone shows a column of ash shooting up from the Mayon volcano as it continues to erupt, seen from the city of Legazpi in Albay province, south of Manila on January 24, 2018.”
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Mayon Volcano had six episodes of sporadic lava fountaining reaching 400 to 500 meters high that day. These lava fountains generated ash plumes as high as 3 to 5 kilometers above the crater.
What took place in Mayon Volcano this Jan. 6 was an onset of uson or dome collapse pyroclastic density current, not lava fountaining.
The video with the wrong context was uploaded the same day PHIVOLCS raised Mayon Volcano’s alert status from Level 2 to Level 3. This is due to the eruption of magma (or molten rock) at the top of the volcano, which increased the risk of lava flows and avalanches of superheated gas, ash and rock. Alert Level 3 remains in force as of Jan. 9 with lava dome effusion and collapse and lava flow recorded.
This is not the first time that VERA Files has debunked disinformation about the volcano in Albay.
The post by the FB page Ka Team JerJer (created on June 9, 2020) garnered 231 reactions, 98 comments, 113 shares and 46,000 views.
