Tourists caught playing golf in Mayon danger zone

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — Two American tourists were caught playing golf within Mayon Volcano’s seven-kilometer danger zone in Barangay Lidong, Sto. Domingo town on Friday.

Joe Smith and Mario Robles were asked to immediately leave the area by a group of police officers led by Senior Inspector Genevieve Usurin.

The tourists, who are members of the Legazpi City Golf Club, said they wanted to play golf before returning to the US.

Usurin said the tourists and their guide sneaked into the area through Barangay Padang in this city.

She said it was the third time since the volcano erupted last month that the police caught foreigners entering the danger zone.

Usurin said a group of Swiss tourists and two American scientists who asked permission to observe the eruption of Mayon outside the eight-kilometer danger zone also sneaked into the restricted area through Barangay Lidong.

Authorities reiterated their appeal to the public not to enter the danger zone even though the volcano appears to be simmering down.

Cedric Daep, Albay provincial security and emergency management office head, noted that 72 persons died after they were hit by pyroclastic materials while farming within the danger zone when the volcano erupted on Feb. 3, 1993. 

Quiet lava flow

Mayon’s activity in the past 24 hours was characterized by generally quiet lava effusion and degassing from the crater.  

Only three volcanic earthquakes and eight rockfalls were recorded by Mayon’s seismic monitoring network. 

Alert Level 4 remains in effect over the volcano. 

Meanwhile, thieves broke into the hydro laboratory of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and took two batteries and two solar panels.

Mayon resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said the equipment are used to monitor wells around the volcano.  

Phivolcs also lost a solar panel and two batteries at its monitoring station in Barangay Padang last Jan. 10.