Mount Iriga

Also known as: Mount Asog · Volcan de Asog

Definition

Mount Iriga, also known as Mount Asog, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, rising about 1,196 meters above sea level between Iriga City and the municipality of Buhi in Camarines Sur. Its slopes drain into scenic Lake Buhi, famous for the tiny sinarapan fish, and its peak offers views of Mount Isarog, Mayon Volcano, and the Bicol lowlands. (Wikipedia)

Identities

Source Type	Identity
Wikipedia	Mount Iriga
Wikidata	Q1672640
DBpedia	N/A
ProductOntology	N/A
Wiktionary	N/A
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)	N/A
MeSH	N/A
NCBI Taxonomy	N/A
AGROVOC	N/A
Google Scholar	Mount Iriga Mount Asog volcano Buhi Camarines Sur Philippines
ConceptNet	N/A
OpenCyc	N/A

Also Known As

Mount Asog
Volcan de Asog

Examples and Analogies

Old collapse scar: The volcano’s horseshoe-shaped crater opening, formed by an ancient flank collapse, is often compared to a bite taken out of the mountain’s side.
Sinarapan cradle: Nearby Lake Buhi, associated with the volcano’s 1641 activity, holds the world’s smallest commercially harvested fish, the sinarapan.

Usage Scenarios

1. Day-Hike Tourism

Bicol-bound travelers climb the forested trail from Buhi or Iriga City to catch panoramic views of Mayon and Isarog at the summit.

2. Volcanic Hazard Education

Local disaster-risk-reduction offices use Iriga’s collapse history to teach communities about lava-dome growth, flank failure, and lahar hazards in Camarines Sur.

Strategies

Combine the hike with a Lake Buhi boat tour to market the area as a two-in-one geotourism destination.
Coordinate with the local tourism office for registered guides, since trailheads pass through upland farms and barangay lands.

Security and Safety Measures

Check PHIVOLCS bulletins before visiting any active or dormant Philippine volcano, even one as quiet as Iriga.
Trails become slippery after rain; wear proper footwear and avoid the climb during typhoon weather.
Respect farmland boundaries on the approach trails to avoid conflicts with local landowners.

Historical Context

Mount Iriga’s best-documented eruption occurred in 1641, an event long linked in local tradition to the formation or expansion of Lake Buhi through landslides that dammed drainage on the volcano’s flanks. The mountain is also woven into Bicolano folklore through tales of Asog, a figure of local legend whose name became attached to the peak. During the Spanish period, upland settlements around the volcano were drawn into the tobacco and abaca economies of Camarines Sur, and today Iriga City at its foot is a regional education and commerce center. (Wikipedia)

Challenges and Controversies

Deforestation and Land Conversion

Farming and illegal logging have thinned the volcano’s forest cover, increasing erosion and landslide risk on its steep flanks.

Unmonitored Dormancy

Because Iriga is dormant and less studied than Mayon, some residents underestimate its long-term eruptive and collapse hazards.

References

Mount Iriga