Albay gov to pass ordinance banning treks on Mayon

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Albay Gov. Joey Salceda on Thursday said the province will soon pass an ordinance that will make it unlawful to conduct trekking and mountaineering activities, including crater climbing, on active Mayon volcano.

The governor, in a statement posted on his Facebook account, said tour operators in Albay will be prohibited from offering such activities as part or central attraction of their tour package as the province’s “zero casualty goal dictates that Albay perpetually prohibit(s) crater climbing and mountaineering of Mayon Volcano since the risk to life of such activity can not be significantly mitigated or conversely that the possibility of death arising from such risk may at least be diminished by action of the state and of the local community.”

“To put teeth to that, no fines shall be imposed but rather jail time of at least 1 year,” the governor said.

Four German tourists and a mountaineering guide died during their climb on Mayon volcano, which spewed ash and steam at 8 a.m. Tuesday as the group neared its crater.

The phreatic explosion also caught off guard another group of Thai mountaineers and their guides, who were also on a climb that day, leaving three Thais injured and another initially missing. Boonchai Jattupornong was later found on Wednesday afternoon.

As of Thursday noon, only the body of 23-year-old local mountain guide Jerome Berin has been brought down from Camp 2, located about 1,200 meters up the slopes of the volcano, to Legazpi City.

The bodies of the four German nationals were expected to arrive at the Philippine Air Force Tactical Group Operation base at the Legazpi Airport within the day, local authorities said.