Ligao city: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has reported that the Ligao Observation Station of Mayon Volcano is currently non-operational following the theft of critical equipment. The incident was discovered on April 19 during routine maintenance at the station in Barangay Paulog, Ligao City, while the volcano remains under heightened alert.

According to Philippines News Agency, stolen items included six meters of solar cables, three meters of battery cables, five meters of liquid-tight conduit cables, and three meters of LAN/FTP cables. Phivolcs stated that the station plays a crucial role in tracking volcanic activity through broadband seismic and infrasound sensors, as well as an IP camera for visual monitoring. It is strategically located to detect potential tectonic earthquake activity along the splay of the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ) traversing the Bicol Peninsula.

Under Republic Act 10344, the unauthorized taking or tampering of government risk reduction and preparedness equipment is a penalized offense. Meanwhile, Phivolcs confirmed in its April 22 bulletin that Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 due to intensified magmatic unrest. The agency reported ongoing lava effusion reaching up to 3.8 kilometers in the Basud Gully and episodic minor Strombolian activity.

A total of 51 volcanic earthquakes were recorded over the past 24 hours, including 35 volcanic tremors lasting up to 45 minutes. Sulfur dioxide emissions averaged 1,132 tonnes per day, while ash and steam plumes rose as high as 900 meters before drifting west. Entry into the six-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) remains strictly prohibited due to threats of rockfalls, landslides, and pyroclastic density currents.

Phivolcs urged local government units and communities to help safeguard monitoring facilities and report any information related to the theft.