Solar panel of Phivolcs' monitoring station in Albay stolen

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — A solar panel at a monitoring station of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in Barangay Masarawag, Guinobatan, Albay has been stolen.

Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist in Albay, said the solar panel is used for an equipment which measures Mayon Volcano’s sulfur gas emission.

Laguerta said the panel could have been taken between May 9 and May 17, noting that the computers at the Lignon observatory did not receive any input at the time.

He called on disaster management officials to help safeguard Phivolcs monitoring equipment, saying it is critical in determining if the crater glow on Mayon is still part of its recent eruption or a new magma ascent.

Last February, two batteries and two solar panels of an equipment used to monitor water wells around Mayon were also stolen.