Philippine peso bills will soon feature national natural wonders including the majestic Mayon Volcano of Albay. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is set to release the new design of Philippine monetary bills and coins by the end of 2010. The new currency design will have brighter colors and will feature the Philippines’ natural wonders at the back side of the bills. The current design features historical landmarks.

The Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) on Wednesday said that disaster preparedness action plan is now in place and ready for implementation in the event Mayon volcano’s exhibits possible signs of an eruption. Albay Governor Joey Salceda, PDCC chairman, said disaster operating scenarios have been drawn up and ready for execution in times the volcano’s abnormal behavior turns worst.

Legazpi City (10 July) — Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised today Mayon Volcano’s alert status from Level 1 (low level unrest) to Level 2 (moderate unrest) after it manifested increasing volcanic quakes, swelling of its edifice and intense crater glow. Phivolcs said parameters monitored since last month indicated an increase in the current activity of the volcano, manifesting low frequency volcanic earthquakes rising to a higher level signifying possible movement of magma beneath the volcano edifice at shallow depth.

Albay’s Mayon Volcano was featured on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for the issue dated March 1, 2009. The photo was taken by Dr. Jullie Sy, a surgeon from Legazpi City on June 22, 2007 at 7 a.m. The magnificent photo showed the symmetrical-coned volcano bathed in early morning light and adorned with a ‘wispy shawl’ of white clouds. A flock of seven birds flew past the lovely scene just in time as the photographer took the shot. The photo has a special significance for the Sy because his lucky number has always been 7 (he was also born on July 7th).

Mount Mayon is one of the most exciting mountains to climb in the Philippines, but it is also one of the most challenging. Rising majestically to a symmetrical cone shaped summit, Mayon is the Philippines’ most active volcano. It is beautiful to behold at a distance but its steep slopes are perilous. Climbers will experience traversing through different terrains with varying degrees of difficulty, from thick forests, to grasslands with razor-sharp talahib, to dangerous rocks and boulders.

The beautifully symmetrical Mayon volcano, which rises to 2,462 meters above the Albay Gulf, is the Philippines’ most active volcano. The structurally simple volcano has steep upper slopes that average 35-40 degrees and is capped by a small summit crater