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Claim: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded a sudden phreatic eruption lasting less than a minute at Mayon Volcano around 6:29 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The claim was originally published by the Facebook page “Philippine Weather Alert,” which has 1,500 likes and 7,700 followers. It was reposted by several pages, with one version of the post receiving 24 reactions and 72 shares.
Citing a supposed volcano eruption notice released by Phivolcs, the post’s caption states that Mayon Volcano spewed thick smoke that reached an estimated height of 656 feet (200 meters) during the supposed phreatic eruption.
The post also contains a link allegedly showing actual footage of the incident and the areas affected by the supposed eruption.
The facts: In a post on its official Facebook account, Phivolcs belied the “clickbait” eruption advisory and advised the public not to engage with the account.
“Huwag maniwala at ibahagi ang impormasyong ito na maaaring magdulot ng pagkalito at pagkatakot sa mga makakabasa nito,” the advisory read. (Do not believe or share this information, as it may cause confusion and fear among those who read it.)
The agency also encourages the public to visit its official website or social media accounts for accurate information.
Actual situation of Mayon Volcano: Contrary to the post, Phivolcs’ August 13 summary of a 24-hour observation of Mayon Volcano did not indicate any phreatic eruption that happened on that date.
Instead, the bulletin shows that three volcanic earthquakes were recorded at Mayon Volcano, with a “faint” crater glow visible through a telescope. Similarly, in its bulletin on August 14, Phivolcs reported no phreatic eruption.
However, entry into the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone is still prohibited due to possible hazards that can occur, including rockfalls, landslides, avalanches, and lahars during heavy and prolonged rainfall.
A phreatic eruption occurs when “water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by volcanic activity,” according to the United States Geological Survey. Phivolcs last recorded a phreatic eruption at Mayon Volcano at 6:16 pm on July 18, 2024, that caused a 200-meter ash plume to spew out of the volcano.
Mayon Volcano is still under Alert Level 1, indicating a low level of unrest.
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Fake details: The link that supposedly shows the actual footage of the incident and places affected by the eruption is clickbait, as it redirects users to an online shopping site.
The misleading post also seemingly copy-pasted the caption and altered the details from a report about Mayon Volcano’s July 18 phreatic eruption.
Previous fact-checks: Rappler has debunked several disaster-related claims:
- FACT CHECK: Photo of damaged Marcos Bridge taken in 2020, not caused by Carina
- FACT CHECK: No reports of super typhoon forming in PH, as of July 26
- FACT CHECK: Post warning of tropical cyclone ‘Duterte’ is fake
- FACT CHECK: Post warning of strong earthquake links to shopping site
For credible information and advisories on volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other related geotectonic phenomena, visit Phivolcs’ official website, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.
— Larry Chavez/Rappler.com
Larry Chavez is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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