Mayon Volcano in Albay has been placed under Alert Level 2 after exhibiting "increasing unrest," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) announced Monday.

In a notice, the state seismologist said the raising of the alert level means “there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to phreatic eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruption.”

Following this, the agency advised the public to be vigilant and refrain from entering the six-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone to minimize the risks from sudden explosions, rockfall, and landslides.

“In case of ash fall events that may affect communities downwind of Mayon’s crater, people should cover their nose with a damp, clean cloth or dust mask,” it said.

It added that the lava dome has increased in volume by around 83,000 cubic meters since February 3 and nearly 164,000 cubic meters since August 20, 2022 while the highest sulfur dioxide emission measured on April 29 averaged 576 tons per day, and the last measurement on May 23 averaged 162 tons per day.

“These low-level volcanic earthquakes, ground deformation, and volcanic gas parameters are overshadowed by recent steep increases in rockfall events which may possibly lead to further dome activity,” PHIVOLCS stated.

The raising of the alert level comes nearly three months after Phivolcs downgraded the status of Mayon to Alert Level 1.