The surprising eruption of Taal volcano brought me
in sad nostalgia to look back the appalling story I experienced during the Mt.
Pinatubo eruption. It was an unordinary
Sunday at home with family. Around 3 ‘o
clock in the afternoon, the sun was supposed to be still bright but the sky was
quite unusual dark then. I thought the weather
was just indicating heavy rain, unaware of news that the Mount Pinatubo in Northwest
of Manila was spewing huge volume of ash, lava and gases, categorizing the
situation in high alert level.
I was starting my career then back in 1991 and during that time there was no social media that can quickly spread breaking news like that. What I had just noticed before I heard the breaking news were the tiny white particles in my hair and arms. Totally no idea that they were ash falls from Mt. Pinatubo that had already blown across in our province not until I heard the news. Surprised and perplexed initially because my hometown is relatively far from the scene of eruption yet reached of these ash falls. The following morning, I was about to open our windows when I’d noticed the unfamiliar dust on it. Just next to the window was our small balcony. I went out over there to check the dust and I was stunned in the thick dust on the floor, on the plants and I looked around to find out the dust were everywhere.
When out of my home and I was able to walk around after watching the live news update of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, I can’t help but to feel depressed seeing the sad faces of the people and the shady and melancholy clouds. Though some places had been cleansed but there were still traces of ash falls everywhere. Some were still washing their belongings, cleaning their yards as if we were plagued and left losers. But our town was actually not the most damaged community. The real sad and painful stories were indeed started in the nearest communities of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga. Watching the footages of ashes and lava spewed from volcano, running deadly lava down to community, destroyed properties and loss of lives was very touching. Hearing the stories of the locals whose hair, skin and clothes were full of mud narrating how they survived from the nightmare was totally heartbreaking. The picture of the surroundings seemed to look-like black and white because of the ashes. Mercy, compassion and sorrow rolled into one were what I had felt. And it was goose-bumps feeling to witness the spirit of teamwork. The sense of voluntarism was vividly working in every people in all walks of life. Local governments addressed the needs, the international community sent aids, non-government sects participated in community works, the telethons were opened and the mass included the Mt. Pinatubo victims in their intentions.
The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 is one of the most damaging, deadly, costly, fearing, and biggest tragedies in our modern history. The aftermath was even equally devastating, leaving the entire area of the provinces no man’s land, washed away the homes, properties, livelihoods, and some human lives. Like in disaster movies, the province was practically like a ghost town. The effects of the violent eruption were felt global, it did not only reach the regional the haze to neighboring Asian regions but also its effects were beyond geography. Our ozone depletion had increased and over the following years, the global temperatures dropped.
Mt. Pinatubo explosion is natural calamity that reminds me the power of nature. It just demonstrated how powerful the nature is that no matter how we prepared and equipped we are, no one is above when it is made by nature. I have colleagues who are from the provinces directly destroyed by Mt. Pinatubo. Gratefulness is just perfect to think they survived the tragedy and happy to meet them. It is just so nice to think that we grew up in separate and different places but shared same frightening experience and soon will meet to become colleagues and friends.
I was starting my career then back in 1991 and during that time there was no social media that can quickly spread breaking news like that. What I had just noticed before I heard the breaking news were the tiny white particles in my hair and arms. Totally no idea that they were ash falls from Mt. Pinatubo that had already blown across in our province not until I heard the news. Surprised and perplexed initially because my hometown is relatively far from the scene of eruption yet reached of these ash falls. The following morning, I was about to open our windows when I’d noticed the unfamiliar dust on it. Just next to the window was our small balcony. I went out over there to check the dust and I was stunned in the thick dust on the floor, on the plants and I looked around to find out the dust were everywhere.
When out of my home and I was able to walk around after watching the live news update of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, I can’t help but to feel depressed seeing the sad faces of the people and the shady and melancholy clouds. Though some places had been cleansed but there were still traces of ash falls everywhere. Some were still washing their belongings, cleaning their yards as if we were plagued and left losers. But our town was actually not the most damaged community. The real sad and painful stories were indeed started in the nearest communities of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga. Watching the footages of ashes and lava spewed from volcano, running deadly lava down to community, destroyed properties and loss of lives was very touching. Hearing the stories of the locals whose hair, skin and clothes were full of mud narrating how they survived from the nightmare was totally heartbreaking. The picture of the surroundings seemed to look-like black and white because of the ashes. Mercy, compassion and sorrow rolled into one were what I had felt. And it was goose-bumps feeling to witness the spirit of teamwork. The sense of voluntarism was vividly working in every people in all walks of life. Local governments addressed the needs, the international community sent aids, non-government sects participated in community works, the telethons were opened and the mass included the Mt. Pinatubo victims in their intentions.
The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 is one of the most damaging, deadly, costly, fearing, and biggest tragedies in our modern history. The aftermath was even equally devastating, leaving the entire area of the provinces no man’s land, washed away the homes, properties, livelihoods, and some human lives. Like in disaster movies, the province was practically like a ghost town. The effects of the violent eruption were felt global, it did not only reach the regional the haze to neighboring Asian regions but also its effects were beyond geography. Our ozone depletion had increased and over the following years, the global temperatures dropped.
Mt. Pinatubo explosion is natural calamity that reminds me the power of nature. It just demonstrated how powerful the nature is that no matter how we prepared and equipped we are, no one is above when it is made by nature. I have colleagues who are from the provinces directly destroyed by Mt. Pinatubo. Gratefulness is just perfect to think they survived the tragedy and happy to meet them. It is just so nice to think that we grew up in separate and different places but shared same frightening experience and soon will meet to become colleagues and friends.
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