© AP Photo/Bullit MarquezLava continues to cascade down the slopes of Mayon volcano as viewed from Legazpi city in Albay province, 500 kilometers southeast of Manila, Philippines, Sunday evening Dec. 20, 2009. Government volcanollogists raised the five-level alert of Mayon volcano to 4 following increased activity of the country's most active volcano. Tens of thousands residents living around the slopes of Mayon are now housed in evacuation centers and most likely will spend Christmas away from their homes since the country's most active volcano became restive a week ago.
Legazpi, Philippines - Philippine troops on Monday pressed the last 3,000 villagers who have refused to heed government warnings to leave the danger zone around a volcano that experts say is ready to erupt.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the foothills of Mayon, which on Monday emitted lava fountains, powerful booming noises and other signs of an approaching eruption. But authorities are having trouble keeping villagers away from their homes and farms, said Gov. Joey Salceda.
"There are people who have been evacuated three times, and we sigh: 'You again?' " said Salceda of central Albay province. "We've been playing cat and mouse with them."
After a week of puffing out ash and sending bursts of lava trickling down its steep slopes, the 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) mountain overlooking the Gulf of Albay and Legazpi city shook with nearly 2,000 volcanic earthquakes and tremors between Sunday and Monday, state volcanologists said.