Mayon Volcano lighting project faces backlash over costs, environmental risks

ALBAY, Philippines – The national government’s plan to light up Mayon Volcano, Albay’s iconic landmark and top tourist attraction, has drawn sharp criticism from residents, local officials, and experts, who warn of its environmental and social impact.

The planned project, with a P750-million budget in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), aims to boost local tourism by illuminating the volcano’s slopes with laser and light fixtures outside its six-kilometer permanent danger zone. It was given a P500-million budget in the 2024 GAA.

First proposed by the Ako Bicol (AKB) party list in 2019, the project was later deferred due to public opposition.

“We need to consult and get the sentiments of the people and authorities,” then-Albay governor Al Francis Bichara said in an article published by the Philippine News Agency in 2019.

At the time, AKB Representative Elizaldy Co, who later became chair of the House appropriations committee in 2022, asserted that the proposed project would spur economic growth in the region. 

Co is one of the key figures behind the crafting of the GAA for 2023 to 2025. He was subsequently removed as appropriations panel chair by the House of Representatives in January after the president’s son, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, filed a motion following controversies surrounding the 2025 budget.

Backlash

Like before, the proposal drew backlash from residents and experts, who warned of ecological harm and broader risks.

Jessica Noelle Wong, president of the Association of Accredited Travel Agencies in Bicol, criticized the lack of consultation, saying her organization, a major stakeholder, received no formal invitation to any meeting.

She asked, “Why on earth is the public hearing schedule so shrouded in secrecy, and why are they all happening on weekends when most of us are already busy? Isn’t this questionable? Doesn’t this sound like something’s being pushed through without proper transparency?”

Wong argued there was no need to light up Mayon and urged officials to reallocate the funds to tourism projects that would boost Albay’s economy without harming the environment.

“Tourism should be a source of income for local businesses, and it should uplift the community, not just serve as a temporary spectacle. We need investments that bring sustained growth and opportunities for the everyday Albayanos. Projects that have a real impact, not just quick fixes,” she said.

‘Waste of resources’

Joey Brecia, a resident of Buang, Tabaco City, near Mayon Volcano, called the planned project a wasteful use of billions, saying the funds should go to more urgent needs, especially in communities near the volcano.

“Wouldn’t it be better if there were street lights, since that’s where there’s a real lack, especially in accident-prone areas? Besides, there’s a crisis in electricity, especially in Albay, which some even call the ‘brownout capital.’ Ironically, they want to prioritize lighting up Mayon Volcano instead of fixing the lighting for the residents of Albay,” Brecia said.

He said Albayanos have more pressing needs, such as building evacuation centers and better relocation sites for those living near Mayon. When the volcano showed unrest in 2023, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that 38,391 persons displaced were displaced across 26 barangays.

For many, including Brecia, the P1.25 billion earmarked for lighting Mayon could be better spent on resilient evacuation centers or housing projects to protect thousands of families.

“In past volcanic activities of Mayon, I don’t think the evacuation sites were enough because the usual scenario was that families were crammed into classrooms. And it really shouldn’t be classrooms being used as evacuation sites, not to mention that the facilities lack comfort rooms. It would be much better if the budget were poured into that instead of that lighting project,” he said.

Domino effects

Biodiversity expert and Bicol University-College of Science dean Jocelyn Serrano warned that disrupting the ecosystem could have far-reaching environmental consequences.

“From the point of view of a biologist, I see this as a distraction to the natural ecosystem of the area because, in ecology, we have what is called artificial light at night. This artificial light at night disrupts the circadian rhythm of the organisms, which you know are dependent on the day and night cycles,” Serrano explained.

She acknowledged that the project could draw more tourists by turning Mayon into a nighttime attraction but warned of long-term ecological damage, with ripple effects beyond Albay and into other parts of Bicol.

“Any significant alteration in the natural ecosystem will always cause a negative impact on the environment, resulting in a domino effect. In the long run, it will cause disruptions in the natural occurrence of our Mayon Volcano and also in the flora, fauna, and fungi that thrive in the area,” she said.

Serrano also noted that the last biodiversity research conducted by the College of Science in partnership with the provincial government was in 2014, with no follow-up studies since.

“When we participated in the nomination of Mount Mayon as a biosphere reserve in 2014, we provided the committee, the provincial government of Albay, with the data on the existing biodiversity in the area. The studies were conducted in 2012, 2013, or earlier, but there were no follow-up studies conducted since then,” she said.

She stressed that funding scientific research should come before any tourism project that could alter the environment.

“We cannot simply go there. We need funds, equipment, and people to accompany our students to conduct biodiversity studies in the area. The partnership with the government to study the environment will be integral for the academe to provide help in ensuring the welfare of the environment,” Serrano said.

Delisting prospect

Dorothy Fernandez Colle, Albay Provincial Tourism, Culture, and the Arts Office chief, called for protecting the Albay Biosphere Reserve. 

In 2016, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Mayon the centerpiece of Albay’s biosphere reserve.

Colle said the provincial government and other bodies have spent resources to put Mayon in UNESCO list, and getting delisted was going to be a loss to Albay. 

She said UN National Commission of the Philippines Secretary General Ivan Henares has written to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) opposing the project, citing the risk of delisting.

“If so, it will also become the entire country’s loss. Let us all stand for the Albay Biosphere Reserve and protect our beloved Mayon Volcano by saying no to this lighting project,” Colle said.

Mayon has also been on UNESCO’s tentative list for world heritage site status since 2016. Any harm to its ecosystem could jeopardize this nomination.

In a March 24 letter to TIEZA, the provincial government urged the project’s cancellation, citing the Mayon nomination and the potential disruption of biodiversity.

“The project is deemed detrimental to the conservation function of the Albay Biosphere Reserve, especially since it is not included in the Albay Biosphere Reserve Management Plan submitted to UNESCO and in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Protected Area Management Plan for Mayon Volcano Natural Park,” read part of the letter. – Rappler.com