FALSE. A viral Facebook video claims to show a live, explosive eruption of Mayon Volcano, complete with dramatic lava flows and pyroclastic density currents, amid the volcano’s current unrest.
FACT. The video is AI-generated and does not reflect the present condition of Mayon Volcano. State volcanologists confirm that while Mayon remains under Alert Level 3, the circulating footage is not real and does not correspond to any verified eruptive event.
The clip is presented as a breaking news report and uses fabricated visuals and audio. Independent AI detection tools flagged the video as highly likely to be AI-generated, with probability scores ranging from 97% to 99.9%. Despite gaining hundreds of thousands of views and shares, the footage does not match official volcanic monitoring data.
Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, indicating increasing unrest and the possibility of hazardous activity in the coming days or weeks, but no explosive eruption matching the viral video has been recorded or confirmed.
Authorities have evacuated nearly 3,000 residents from the permanent danger zone due to heightened activity, including pyroclastic flows, rockfalls, and lava dome glow. PHIVOLCS camera footage shows effusive processes and localized activity, not the large-scale, uncontrollable explosive eruption depicted in the viral clip.
The public is advised to rely only on official updates from PHIVOLCS and local government units and to be cautious of sensational videos circulating on social media, especially those showing signs of AI manipulation.
