FACT CHECK: No announcement of January 8 lockdown in Luzon due to Mayon Volcano unrest

Claim: A lockdown will be imposed on January 8, 2026, in several areas of the Philippines, including Metro Manila, Mimaropa, and Calabarzon, due to increasing unrest at Mayon Volcano. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook page called “Nagkakaisang Pilipino TV Newsline” posted two similar videos of a pseudo-newscast on January 5.   

In the video, the female announcer declares: “Posibleng i-lockdown ang buong Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, at iba pang mga lugar dahil sa pag-aalburoto ng Bulkang Mayon ngayong January 8, Huwebes.”

(Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, and other areas may be placed under lockdown on Thursday, January 8, due to Mayon Volcano’s unrest.)

Text overlaid on the video also reads, “Lockdown January 8 dahil sa pagsabog ng Bulkang Mayon (because of the eruption of Mayon Volcano).”

The announcer further alleged that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has advised the public to wear face masks for safety. The announcer also directed viewers to a link in the post’s caption that supposedly lists the areas under lockdown.  

As of writing, the two posts have collectively garnered more than 40,000 views, 750 reactions, 230 shares, and 24 comments.  

The facts: There are no announcements of any lockdown to be imposed in Metro Manila, Mimaropa, or Calabarzon starting January 8 due to increasing unrest at Mayon Volcano.

On Tuesday, January 6, Phivolcs raised the alert level status from Level 2 to Level 3, citing an “increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption” of the volcano.

“This means that Mayon is exhibiting magmatic eruption of a summit lava dome, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs [pyroclastic density currents] or uson affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano and of potential explosive activity within days or weeks,” Phivolcs said.

While state volcanologists recommended evacuation within the 6-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone surrounding Mayon, there are no announcements of a possible lockdown in Metro Manila and other areas mentioned in the misleading social media posts.

The video of the supposed news announcement is also AI‑generated, identifiable by a watermark in the lower-right corner of Google Veo, an advanced AI text-to-video generator. 

The alleged list of areas under lockdown is also fake. The link redirects to an app store download for an e-commerce app, as verified through Bitly. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Constant monitoring: The raising of Alert Level 3 comes only a few days after Mayon was placed under Alert Level 2 on January 1, following increased volcanic activity. 

In its January 6 update, Phivolcs noted that since the alert level status was raised from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2 on January 1, “repeated collapse of the unstable summit dome of Mayon Volcano has generated an increasing number and volume of rockfall events.”

A total of 346 rockfall events and four volcanic earthquakes were recorded since January 1, 2026, compared to 599 rockfall events from November to December 2025. 

The last time Mayon was placed under Alert Level 3 was in June 2023. Phivolcs said the volcano remains under close monitoring. – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com

Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. 

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