Cables stolen from Mayon Volcano monitoring station, disrupting ops

Cables have been stolen from a station monitoring Mayon Volcano, rendering the station non-operational, Phivolcs said Tuesday.

In a statement, the earthquake and volcano monitoring agency said that during routine maintenance on Sunday, staff discovered that cables at the Ligao Observation Station (VMLI) had been removed. The stolen components were six meters of solar cables; three meters of battery cables; five meters of liquid-tight conduit cables; and three meters of LAN/FTP cables.

“These items are essential to VMLI's autonomous power generation, supply and storage and real-time volcano monitoring data communications. VMLI operates broadband seismic and infrasound sensors for critical recording of a wide range of volcanic earthquakes and explosions from Mayon, an IP camera for visual monitoring from west of the volcano, and power and communications equipment,” Phivolcs shared.

The theft is a violation chargeable under the Risk Reduction and Preparedness Equipment Protection Act of 2012.

“DOST-PHIVOLCS strongly enjoins the local government units and communities in and around Mayon Volcano to help keep volcano monitoring facilities safe from such illegal acts so that operational coverage of every sector of the volcano can be sustained for their collective readiness and safety. Any information concerning the above case of theft, as well as all prompt reporting of similar incidents in the future, will be of great importance to our collective safety,” Phivolcs said.

The VMLI is one of the stations that provided critical data related to the 2023 and 2026 eruptions of the Mayon Volcano through monitoring of volcanic earthquakes, assessing surface processes, and monitoring potential tectonic earthquake activity.

In 2025, over P1 million worth of monitoring equipment was stolen from a station in San Jose, Tarlac monitoring Mt. Pinatubo.

In 2020, components were also stolen from a station observing Mayon. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA News