LEGAZPI: Millions of tons of ash and rocks from an erupting Philippine volcano could bury nearby communities due to heavy rain, authorities said Saturday, as tens of thousands flee over fears of a deadly explosion.
The official Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued the warning as heavy rains lashed the surroundings of the Mayon volcano, which has been emitting flaming lava and giant clouds of superheated ash for about a week.
Rainwater could combine with the volcanic ash and rock to form deadly, fast-moving mudflows — called “lahars” — that could sweep away entire settlements, authorities said.
“If there is ash fall and heavy rain, it can be converted into (a) lahar,” Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum told AFP.
“The important thing is to move out in case of heavy rains... this is a precautionary measure.”
The institute earlier said in an advisory that 25 million cubic meters of ash and other volcanic material had recently been emitted by Mayon, settling on its slopes and the surrounding area.
It warned that this could result in lahars flowing into waterways and called on officials to move residents near rivers to higher ground.
An explosion of the 2,460-meter (8,070-foot) Mayon in August 2006 did not directly kill anyone but four months later, a typhoon unleashed an avalanche of volcanic mud from Mayon’s slopes that claimed 1,000 lives.
Phivolcs said Mayon had emitted fountains of lava on Friday but bad weather was preventing observation of the volcano’s activity on Saturday.
Volcanic mudflows have been a perennial problem during and after volcanic eruptions in the Philippines, which sits on the “Ring of Fire” — islands in the Pacific that were formed by volcanic activity.
The government has already evacuated more than 84,000 people from a “danger zone” stretching as far as nine kilometers (six miles) around Mayon over fears of a possible deadly eruption.
Mayon, located about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of the capital Manila, is the most active of the country’s 22 volcanoes — and one of the deadliest.
Four foreign tourists and their local tour guide were killed when it last erupted in May 2013.
In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed when lava flows buried the nearby town of Cagsawa.
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Deadly mudflows threaten residents near erupting Philippine volcano
Deadly mudflows threaten residents near erupting Philippine volcano
China positions itself as force for global stability at its annual Congress
BEIJING: While much of the world’s attention is on the Iran war, that hasn’t stopped China from moving ahead with national priorities with global repercussions.
Not that China doesn’t care about the war and its impact on energy supplies and geopolitics. But for the world’s second largest economy, its growing rivalry with the United States revolves around a different battle: the development of the cutting-edge technologies shaping the 21st century.
That message came through in a five-year plan formally endorsed Thursday by the National People’s Congress at the end of its annual meeting, the nation’s biggest political event of the year. If anything, China is doubling down on a push to transform its economy and be at the forefront of technology. State media described China’s determination to stay the course on economic development as a force for stability in an uncertain world.
“A stable and developing China injects more stability and certainty into a world fraught with change and turbulence,” the official People’s Daily newspaper said in a front-page column on Wednesday. Other state-media echoed that view.
The commentaries and official statements didn’t mention US President Donald Trump, whose tariffs and use of military force from Venezuela to Iran are shaking up the global order that has governed international relations in the post-World War II era. China publicly defends that system, while calling for making it more equitable to reflect the interests of developing countries as well as rich ones.
Trump is due to visit Beijing in three weeks to hold talks with his counterpart, Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The National People’s Congress also rubber-stamped three laws, including one governing ethnic minorities, at its closing session. The votes are ceremonial and nearly unanimous, designed to show unity behind the ruling Communist Party’s vision for the nation. The five-year plan was approved with 2,758 votes in favor, one against, and two abstentions.
“We are forging ahead at full speed in building a great country,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at an annual news conference during the Congress.
Banking on tech for growth
Many economists believe that China needs to do more to put more money into the hands of consumers to boost domestic spending and reduce its dependence on export-led growth.
China’s leaders agree in concept, but the five-year plan puts technology front and center, confirming it remains the top priority. Analysts expect any steps to boost consumption to happen only gradually, such as expanding social security and health care benefits, while government funds are poured into artificial intelligence, robotics and other areas.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced an economic growth target of 4.5 percent to 5 percent for 2026 at the start of the Congress, a level that gives the government more leeway to focus on the longer-term goals of the five-year plan rather than meeting a higher target this year.
Staying conservative on climate
The five-year plan doesn’t pledge to reduce carbon emissions overall, but only to reduce “emissions intensity” — how much pollutants are emitted relative to the size of the economy. That means emissions could still grow as the economy does.
The target for a reduction in intensity was set at 17 percent, a level that could allow emissions to rise 3 percent or more, analysts said. “International good practice is to move away from intensity targets toward absolute emission reduction targets,” said Niklas Hohne of the NewClimate Institute in Germany.
China has a history of setting conservative targets and its rapid expansion in solar and other clean energies may drive emissions down anyway. The country is the world’s No. 1 emitter of greenhouse gases, but leaders have long argued that the size of its population and economy must be considered when evaluating its pollution levels.
Regulating ethnic groups
A sweeping ethnic minorities law endorsed by the Congress solidifies what critics say is a government policy of assimilation, emphasizing the creation of “a common consciousness of the Chinese nation.”
The government said it is meant to foster a stronger sense of community and shared economic development among its ethnic groups. The law encapsulates an approach under Xi that has promoted unity over ethnic cultures and their languages.
“It puts a death nail in the party’s original promise of meaningful autonomy,” said James Leibold, a professor at Australia’s LaTrobe University who has studied China’s changing policies toward its ethnic minorities.
Seeking a “right to rest” for workers
Formal proposals and other suggestions to reduce work hours in a variety of ways were among those that got the most attention on social media during this year’s Congress.
Many focused on a “right to rest,” including calls to give employees the right not to respond to work messages after hours. Many Chinese workers get only five days of paid vacation a year. Yu Miaojie, an economist and deputy to the Congress, proposed raising the minimum statutory annual leave from five to 10 days.
The popularity of the proposals reflects concern about the intense workplace competition in China. Giving workers more leisure time is also seen as a way to boost consumption by giving them more free time to spend.
Not that China doesn’t care about the war and its impact on energy supplies and geopolitics. But for the world’s second largest economy, its growing rivalry with the United States revolves around a different battle: the development of the cutting-edge technologies shaping the 21st century.
That message came through in a five-year plan formally endorsed Thursday by the National People’s Congress at the end of its annual meeting, the nation’s biggest political event of the year. If anything, China is doubling down on a push to transform its economy and be at the forefront of technology. State media described China’s determination to stay the course on economic development as a force for stability in an uncertain world.
“A stable and developing China injects more stability and certainty into a world fraught with change and turbulence,” the official People’s Daily newspaper said in a front-page column on Wednesday. Other state-media echoed that view.
The commentaries and official statements didn’t mention US President Donald Trump, whose tariffs and use of military force from Venezuela to Iran are shaking up the global order that has governed international relations in the post-World War II era. China publicly defends that system, while calling for making it more equitable to reflect the interests of developing countries as well as rich ones.
Trump is due to visit Beijing in three weeks to hold talks with his counterpart, Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The National People’s Congress also rubber-stamped three laws, including one governing ethnic minorities, at its closing session. The votes are ceremonial and nearly unanimous, designed to show unity behind the ruling Communist Party’s vision for the nation. The five-year plan was approved with 2,758 votes in favor, one against, and two abstentions.
“We are forging ahead at full speed in building a great country,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at an annual news conference during the Congress.
Banking on tech for growth
Many economists believe that China needs to do more to put more money into the hands of consumers to boost domestic spending and reduce its dependence on export-led growth.
China’s leaders agree in concept, but the five-year plan puts technology front and center, confirming it remains the top priority. Analysts expect any steps to boost consumption to happen only gradually, such as expanding social security and health care benefits, while government funds are poured into artificial intelligence, robotics and other areas.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced an economic growth target of 4.5 percent to 5 percent for 2026 at the start of the Congress, a level that gives the government more leeway to focus on the longer-term goals of the five-year plan rather than meeting a higher target this year.
Staying conservative on climate
The five-year plan doesn’t pledge to reduce carbon emissions overall, but only to reduce “emissions intensity” — how much pollutants are emitted relative to the size of the economy. That means emissions could still grow as the economy does.
The target for a reduction in intensity was set at 17 percent, a level that could allow emissions to rise 3 percent or more, analysts said. “International good practice is to move away from intensity targets toward absolute emission reduction targets,” said Niklas Hohne of the NewClimate Institute in Germany.
China has a history of setting conservative targets and its rapid expansion in solar and other clean energies may drive emissions down anyway. The country is the world’s No. 1 emitter of greenhouse gases, but leaders have long argued that the size of its population and economy must be considered when evaluating its pollution levels.
Regulating ethnic groups
A sweeping ethnic minorities law endorsed by the Congress solidifies what critics say is a government policy of assimilation, emphasizing the creation of “a common consciousness of the Chinese nation.”
The government said it is meant to foster a stronger sense of community and shared economic development among its ethnic groups. The law encapsulates an approach under Xi that has promoted unity over ethnic cultures and their languages.
“It puts a death nail in the party’s original promise of meaningful autonomy,” said James Leibold, a professor at Australia’s LaTrobe University who has studied China’s changing policies toward its ethnic minorities.
Seeking a “right to rest” for workers
Formal proposals and other suggestions to reduce work hours in a variety of ways were among those that got the most attention on social media during this year’s Congress.
Many focused on a “right to rest,” including calls to give employees the right not to respond to work messages after hours. Many Chinese workers get only five days of paid vacation a year. Yu Miaojie, an economist and deputy to the Congress, proposed raising the minimum statutory annual leave from five to 10 days.
The popularity of the proposals reflects concern about the intense workplace competition in China. Giving workers more leisure time is also seen as a way to boost consumption by giving them more free time to spend.
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