Mt. Pinatubo 19 Years On

June 2010 marks the 19th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and its devastating affect on Angeles City and surrounds. But, before examining the eruption and aftermath of the 20th century’s largest volcanic explosion, is it necessary to give a brief description of Angeles City, and particularly the significance of Clark Air Base prior to June 1991.

Clark Air Base

Back in 1991 Angeles City, then, was noisy. It was the noise of high powered jet engines screaming for 23 hours every day. It was a relentless noise that confronted, or rather assaulted the ears of all first time visitors to Angeles. This is because Angeles City was then home to Clark Air Base, the largest U.S. Air Force base outside the continental United States. Noise, “the sound of freedom” and the stench of jet fuel seemed to permeate the whole city.

Clark was more than just an US air force base. It was, effectively, an American town located on the plains of central Luzon, Philippines, with a floating population of some 20,000 servicemen and women and their families, as well as many locally employed Filipino base workers. Aside from its aircraft operations, which quite possibly accounted for more daily aircraft movements than New York’s JFK airport or London’s Heathrow, Clark contained everything small town America needed to keep it’s residents safe, secure, fed and entertained - literally, everything. There was the base Fire Brigade, the Military Police, primary and secondary schools, doctors, dentists, hospitals, cinemas, shopping centers, sporting arenas, and even base radio stations and a TV channel ... but you get the point.

And stretching along Fields Avenue, Perimeter Road, Don Juico Avenue, Friendship Highway, MacArthur Highway, and the roads leading off them, were hundreds if not thousands of bars. Many of these bars were stacked with some of Asia’s most vivacious, attractive, desirable and compliant girls, all in search of a better life. This meant that the bar were also full of surprisingly young Americans with unfashionably short hair cuts.

Life was pretty good. The U.S. Government poured in millions of dollars annually to provide and maintain essential infrastructure, servicemen spent their salaries locally, tourists added more money and a carefree attitude prevailed, to the benefit of bar, restaurant and hotel owners and more than a few of the working girls. And it was all very orderly, thanks largely to the Military Police who saw to it that trouble was prevented, generally before it began.

It all began to go pear shaped in March 1991 when a series of small earthquakes on the north western side of Mt. Pinatubo volcano began on March 15 and continued for about two weeks, increasing in frequency towards the end of the month.

Rumbling Underground

After some 600 years of inactivity the sleeping giant of Mt. Pinatubo was stirring. In early April phreatic eruptions occurred near the summit, caused by rising magma contacting ground and/or surface water, which caused huge plumes of steam to vent and rise ominously over the area.

Shortly after these early eruptions, scientists installed monitoring equipment to analyze the volcano and, ideally, to learn what was happening deep beneath the surface. Experts pored over the data from their instruments like so many witch doctors examining chicken entrails in an attempt to predict the future.

The volcanic activity continued throughout May and by May 25 emissions of sulphur dioxide increased from 50 tons to 500 tons daily, indicating a growing store of fresh magma boiling below the earth's surface looking for release.

By now, presumably, base commanders and local and national government officials were concerned about the ramifications of continued volcanic activity, but for the lower ranks, the tourists and the workers, life went on; work was done during the days and fun was had in the bars at night, much as it had done for decades.

The first large explosion took place on June 7 blowing a column of ash 7km high.

At this stage the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, (PHILVOLCS), warned of the possibility of a major eruption within 14 days. Less than a week later, Clark Air Base was evacuated, or perhaps more appropriately, abandoned, as from then on Clark ceased to exist as a realistic U.S. entity. Aircraft were repositioned to bases in Asia and Hawaii to protect their engines from the corrosive effects of volcanic dust and silicates. Long convoys of civilian and military vehicles streamed out of Clark heading off to the US naval base at Subic Bay, headlights glowing eerily through the ever deepening dusk as the mountain continued to fling ash skywards.

The civilian population, and most local aboriginal tribesmen (Aetas) living closer to the mountain had previously been evacuated, save for a few Aetas who chose to stay and defy the mountain, sure that by doing so they would appease the angry spirits. Those who could left Angeles for home provinces or home countries, while many, (mainly business owners), and local residents chose to hunker down and ride out the worst of what was to come, none knowing they were about to witness the biggest eruption of the 20th century.

The Earth Trembles

The worst came on June 15. From around 1:30 p.m. and lasting some 9 hours, Mt. Pinatubo erupted almost continuously, turning day to night, plunging the city and surrounds for miles around into darkness. During the most violent phase of the eruption, ash soared 34km into the stratosphere, and the subsequent ash plume covered 125,000 square km bringing the Dark Ages to central Luzon and stretching as far west as Cambodia. It might have ended there; even though the damage was extensive it wasn’t yet disastrous, as the prevailing winds were expected to dump much of the ash in the South China Sea. Enter Typhoon Yunya.

When it Rains, It Pours

Typhoon Yunya was a south westerly typhoon which struck Luzon about 70km north of Mt. Pinatubo. The raw power of Yunya’s wind blew the ash back across the Philippine coast and the rain from the typhoon mixed with the volcanic ash to form deadly liquid mud and ash lahar. And the lahar caused most damage.

Lahar then fell as ‘mud-laden rain’ steadily building up on roofs, roads and fields like liquid cement. Nearby rivers became surging torrents of mud. One early surge destroyed the old Abacan Bridge as effortlessly and carelessly as a child would toss aside a bridge of Lego blocks. The lahar cut off all access to Angeles City from Balibago via the MacArthur Highway, and it was only a matter of time before other bridges were also washed away, adding to the isolation.

Houses and buildings frequently collapsed under the weight of lahar on roof tops. Parts of Balibago and the surrounding country looked as if they had been bombed, so widespread was the wreckage caused by the volcano and the typhoon.

Thanks to quick and decisive action by the authorities in evacuating towns, villages and hamlets, loss of life due to lahar was minimal; but there was no water and no electricity for many days which added to the misery faced by those who remained.

A friend who owned and operated a successful hotel near Dau prior to June 15, later told me he watched his life and his future drain away by the hour as drop by drop lahar slowly overwhelmed his property. Realizing he was powerless as he watched the large swimming pool fill with lahar, he sat in the gloomy candle-lit stockroom of his hotel and, with a few friends, proceeded to drink warm beer and raw spirits until the storm passed, they passed out or the drinks ran out ... whichever came first. He was never quite the same affable extrovert after Pinatubo.

Hope out of Hopelessness

We humans are nothing if not resilient. When the worst was over people emerged, shocked and dazed by the cruel hand fate had dealt them, but with a resolve to salvage something, anything, from the wreckage. A thriving trade in black market goods looted from the base was so pronounced it almost sent established retailers out of business; but it’s hard to think poorly of men and women struggling to feed and house young families. There was no government or religious organization with the capacity to help, although foreign residents did what they could to ease the burden of friends and extended families. In this case, misery had lots of company.

The rice paddies of central Luzon resembled the moon. Flat, featureless grey fields of lahar stretched from one horizon to the other, the monotony relieved only by a few trees and shards of broken buildings poking through the drab deserted countryside. Curious sightseers came to mourn Angeles City only to be surprised it wasn’t yet ready to be buried: it may not have been the bustling City of the past, but there were signs of life and it began, slowly, to thrive. A spirit of camaraderie pervaded and a handful of canny investors brought money, foresight and a can-do attitude to aid the rebuilding of the City and its surroundings.

Nineteen years on Angeles City has prospered to become what it is today. Leadership and a benign, tolerant attitude from local government combined with a forward thinking approach from Manila has seen Clark Air Base become home to DMIA airport, a Special Economic Zone with a wide range of business and recreational facilities. Angeles City is different from the pre Mt. Pinatubo period; it has developed a more comprehensive economic base which augurs well for its residents well into the future.

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