Philippine volcano crisis could last for months: govt
Five small explosions were detected from Mayon on Wednesday morning, the last of which shot ash 500 metres (1,640 feet) into the air, government volcanologist July Sabit told AFP.
"Lava flow and lava fragments rolling down the volcano are continuous," Sabit said.
"It is part of the eruptive activity of the volcano. There is a high probability it will be like this for months," he said.
Sabit cited Mayon's last eruption in 2006, when it emitted ash and oozed lava for two months.
The eruptions of 2006 did not claim any lives, but left huge deposits of volcanic ash on Mayon's slopes.
When Typhoon Durian hit the same area in December 2006, it caused a landslide of volcanic ash that killed more than 1,000 people.
The government has already evacuated about 6,000 families living in farming villages near the foot of Mayon and hopes to evacuate almost 4,000 more in the next two days.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level for Mayon to three on Monday after lava was seen spewing from the crater, and evacuations began immediately.
Level three on the five-point scale means a hazardous eruption is likely in the very near future.
Mayon, which sits above a farming area about 330 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Manila, has erupted 48 times since records began, claiming thousands of lives.
In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed as lava buried the town of Cagsawa.
Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.