It was a hot and humid summer day in June 1991.
The sun was shining, just like an ordinary day in the Philippines. Only this time, it was a day that I will never forget. When the clock hit three o'clock in the afternoon, I thought the world has come to an end. The sun that was shining bright earlier that day quickly turned into darkness. A dark gloomy cloud was overshadowing the streets of Guagua, which is a city in the outskirts of Pampanga. A monstrous cauliflower-looking cloud was growing bigger and thicker as far as the eye can see. I looked outside my window and thought I must be dreaming since it never snows in the Philippines. Having never seen snow in my entire life, I was jumping for joy. However, gladness turned into terror and panic as I realized it was raining ashes. Our little barrio was slowly getting buried alive. Our dog, Tito began to bark really loud, almost in a frantic stage and started to walk in circles. It was strange how our dog knew there was something peculiar about the surroundings. The ipis (flying cockroaches) and other insects that typically live outdoors in the tropical islands were trying to go inside our house—seeking for refuge. Even the crawling creatures were running for their lives. As the day turns into night, we were surrounded by complete darkness except for flashes of lightning. There was no electricity. I started to become dehydrated. As I reached for the sink and tried to get some water, I discovered that there was no water either. The earth began to shake. We were lucky that we have an ample supply of flashlight and batteries. We turned on our battery-operated radio to find out what was going on. There were still flashes of lighting, which illuminated the dark skies. I asked my nanay (mother) and tatay (father) what was going on. Volcanologists and meteorologists tried to send a warning, but it was too late. The lava flow had already began its path of death and destruction. However, I am grateful that we have survived this horrible ordeal. It showed me the power of nature and it taught me to rely on instincts. Oddly enough, this natural disaster has made my family closer together.

The last photo is Mount Pinatubo's crater lake taken in 2008. It is no longer an active volcano and it has become a famous tourist area for hiking.


















Pictures Courtesy 0f:

http://www.geology110.com/studentwork3class/KTE2_fall07/Pinatubo-eruption.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Ashfall_from_Pinatubo,_1991.jpg
http://www.islandvulnerability.org/pinatubo12june1991h.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goms77/2620472201/