CAMALIG, Albay – Sixteen veteran mountaineers are on standby to climb Mayon Volcano and look for the four people onboard the Cessna plane owned by Energy Development Corp. (EDC) that crashed near the crater of Mayon Volcano over the weekend.
George Cordovilla, team leader of the composite team from the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines Inc. (MFPI), told the Manila Bulletin that they are still waiting for the green light from authorities to climb the location of the aircraft wreckage.
"Hinihintay lang namin ‘yung go-signal para akyatin namin ang Mayon (We are awaiting the go-signal to climb Mayon)," he said.
Cordovilla, a veteran mountaineer who climbed the crater of Mayon Volcano for more than 300 times and tagged as the "Tiger of Mayon," said that they are very much prepared for the mission.
The group of Cordovilla volunteered for the rescue operation and been on standby since Sunday, Feb. 19, here. Once they have the green light, they jump off at Mi-isi trail in Daraga, Albay.
His group rescued Russian tourists trapped in the upper slope of Mayon when the volcano had a phreatic eruption in 2013.
He said they need an estimated two days to complete the mission. "Kailangan lang na sumunod tayo sa kung ano ang sinasabi ng mga awtoridad para maayos ang lahat (We need to follow what the authorities say so that the mission will go well)," he said.