Phivolcs has not noticed any activities that would indicate Mt. Apo's possible eruption.
DAVAO CITY -- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) clarified that Mount Apo is still in normal condition following the 6.5 magnitude tremor on Thursday.
The clarification was made after several netizens posted on social media of a possible explosion of Mount Apo due a series of earthquakes in Mindanao.
Several netizens also reacted to photos circulating on the internet of a supposed magma near the mountain.
Chris Vidad, a science research assistant of Phivolcs-Davao, in a radio interview, said the public has nothing to worry about since the fault line in Tulunan, North Cotabato is not connected to Mount Apo.
“I would like to ask the public to refrain from sharing unverified news. Mount Apo is in normal state and condition,” Vidad said.
He said it is situated between this city, Davao del Sur and Kidapawan City, Cotabato. "Phivolcs has not noticed any activities that would indicate Mt. Apo's possible eruption," he said.
He also assured they are closely monitoring its activity since there are slowly existing faults nearby, but they are still assessing if the fault's path could possibly be connected to Mount Apo.
Despite its stable condition, the Bansalan town in Davao del Sur posted on their Facebook page informing the public of its temporary closure to trekkers.
It reads, "Mount APO Trail is temporarily closed until further notice. The tourism office is advised to facilitate the refund of those who were able to book ahead of time. For strict compliance."
Mount Apo is a large solfataric, potentially active stratovolcano on the island of Mindanao.
With an elevation of 2,954 meters above sea level, Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the country. (PNA)
