The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology  or PHIVOLCS confirmed on a bulletin on their official Facebook page that  Bulusan Volcano located in Sorsogon caused a phreatic eruption that lasted for approximately 17 minutes on June 5.

"At 10:37 AM today, a phreatic eruption occurred at the Bulusan Volcano summit that lasted approximately 17 minutes and was recorded by seismic and infrasound monitoring by the Bulusan Volcano Network (BVN)" they explained.

A 'steam-rich gray plume' of about 1 kilometer was observed from the Juban town  and was observed drifting west. Ashfall was completely visible in Juban and Casiguran. Trees, houses, and vehicles were covered in ashes as seen on photos that circulated online.

Prior to the eruption on Sunday morning, several earthquakes were reported by BVN earlier.

"The BVN recorded 77 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24-hour observation period." they confirmed.

Due to the eruption, PHIVOLCS raised the alert status of Bulusan Volcano from Alert Level 0 or Normal to Alert Level 1 which indicates Low-Level Unrest or the volcano is in abnormal condition.

Moreover, PHIVOLCS also reminded the local government units  and the public regarding the  4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone that entry is prohibited and continuous vigilance must be observed in the 2-kilometer Extended Danger Zone. They also advised residents living along rivers, streams and within valleys to be vigilant and take extra measures against lahar and sediment-laden stream flows in case heavy rain occurs.

The agency is observing the situation closely and advising everyone to be always prepared and ready for any developments.

"DOST-PHIVOLCS is closely monitoring Bulusan Volcano’s condition and any new development will be communicated to all concerned stakeholders."