Philippines braced for 3-month-long volcano emergency

The Philippines is bracing for a possible three-month-long emergency in areas surrounding an erupting volcano, the country’s disaster agency said on Friday. The volcano has displaced more than 81,000 people, causing overcrowding at temporary shelters, Reuters said. Mount Mayon in central Albay province remains at alert level 4 – just one notch below the highest level – as it continues to spew out lava, ash and other superheated material. “We’re gearing up for three months [of emergency],” said Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the Southeast Asian country’s disaster agency, citing similar situations during previous eruptions of the 2,462-meter volcano. “We remain on red alert,” she added.