Following concerns raised by netizens online, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has cancelled the P500-million Mayon Volcano Heritage Aesthetic Lighting project in Albay.

The agency cited the need for full stakeholder acceptability and compliance with procurement regulations as reasons for the cancellation.

The project aimed to enhance the volcano’s appearance through a design and build scheme.

The Provincial Government of Albay earlier urged TIEZA to discontinue the project, as it had not adequately considered Albay's designation as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve or its ongoing nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"The artificial lighting of Mayon Volcano is glaringly contradictory to its celebrated natural beauty, which has served as inspiration for countless works of art that are a significant part of Filipino national heritage and identity," Acting Governor Baby Glenda Ong Bongao said.

Bongao stressed further that "Mayon Volcano also plays an important role in the spirituality of the Albayanos, being believed to be the final resting place of their ancestors’ souls, the ‘Pusod kan Kinaban’ or ‘Navel of the Earth’ to Albay’s Indigenous people, the apparition site of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Abandoned), and the landmark to which the old churches of Albay were oriented for Eucharistic celebration."

The provincial government also pointed out that the project is not aligned with the Albay Biosphere Reserve Management Plan submitted to UNESCO, nor with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Protected Area Management Plan for Mayon Volcano Natural Park.

It warned that pushing through with the project could put the site at risk of being delisted as a Biosphere Reserve in the upcoming 2026 UNESCO evaluation.

TIEZA confirmed that its decision follows Section 41 c. i. of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184, which allows the rejection of bids or declaration of bidding failure if significant changes in physical and economic conditions make the project no longer feasible.

As a result, the evaluation of the lone bid from Amigo Entertainment Technologies, Inc., in joint venture with BF Corporation, was also canceled.

TIEZA Bids and Awards Committee Chairperson, Atty. Niño Ruperto Aquino, assured that the move aligns with agency guidelines.

The project faced widespread criticism from environmental groups, residents, and cultural advocates, who argued preserving Mayon Volcano in its natural state would better support tourism and conservation efforts.

The Provincial Government of Albay said international recognition through UNESCO designations will be a more sustainable and globally significant approach to boosting tourism in the province.