Mt. Pinatubo, 1991
20 years ago I was the photographer for our high school newspaper. At the start of the new school year, Mt. Pinatubo erupted, raining down volcanic ash throughout the northern island of Luzon.
In Manila, the gray dust settled like snow on the streets and roofs of houses. However, this winter wonderland was a health hazard. People could hardly breathe outside, and the load of accumulating ash weighed down rooftops causing millions in damage. Tree branches drooped, gutters and sewer systems choked from the residue. Rumors started to spread that, when combined with water, the ash would turn into corrosive acid rain. Up in the sky, day turned to night as the ashcloud lingered for days.
After a few weeks my father wanted to travel to San, Fernando, La Union to check up on my grandmother. I went with him promising my editor images of the damage in the countryside. These photos are what I took as we traversed the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, and La Union.
There was a wide river here once. Lahar flowed, then blocked the water leaving mud moving at the bottom.
An ash-covered car sits abandoned right before the tollgate along NLEX. We're guessing the carburetor choked.
Within a few weeks, roads were being cleared. The ash was swept to the side of the road blocking houses that were once open along MacArthur Highway.
Once green farms became fields of ash. In the distance, trees weighed down by volcanic ash.