MAYON: THE GRAND DAME BECKONS
LIKE A PETULANT LOVER, SHE IS WONT TO THROW a fit, seemingly unprovoked, spewing steam and rocks when you least expect it – on a calm summer evening or a chilly foggy dawn, after she had seemed to be in slumber for a time.
Mayon Volcano is everything a grand dame should be – and then some. Stately, beautiful (her name comes from “magayon,” the local word for beautiful), near-perfect – past eruptions have not destroyed her perfect cone – she dominates the skyline of nearby Legazpi City and, in fact, the whole of Albay, as she can be seen from nearly every city and town in the province.
She is the center of attraction – unabashedly so – and to her thousands of tourists come every year to pay homage: To gaze at her from afar, to marvel at her symmetry and to awe at her sometimes flame-crested peak, on nights when she is restive and the fire inside her rises to the top and tinges her crater. Or, for those who dare – the sturdy of limb and strong of heart – to scale her height (2,462 meters), to know her like few have come to know her. There is a six-kilometer permanent danger zone around her summit, testament to how temperamental and unpredictable she can be. In the past, before unauthorized entry was strictly prohibited, those who dared enter this no-man’s zone did so at their own peril. Many have tried, lulled by her apparent calm and quiet; alas, some of them have paid dearly, even with their lives.
There have been well over 50 eruptions since the first documented volcanic activity in 1616. The most destructive eruption occurred on Feb. 1, 1814 when the town of Cagsawa was buried in lava. About 1,200 frightened residents sought shelter in Cagsawa church, but Mayon claimed that too, and all who were in it. Only the church tower remained standing above the lava, a stark reminder to this day of her power and fury that can not, should not, be underestimated. The Cagsawa Ruins was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2016.
Beyond the crown jewel that is Mayon, Albay is generally mountainous with scattered fertile plains. On the eastern side is a string of volcanic mountains, starting with Mount Malinao in the northern town of Tiwi, followed by Masaraga and Mayon. Further south across the Poliqui Bay is the Pocdol mountain in the town of Manito, home of the Nag-aso boiling lake. Tiwi and Manito are home to large reservoirs of geothermal steam and power plants that are among the largest in the world, supplying a substantial amount of electric power to the Luzon grid.
Bounded on the east by the mighty Pacific Ocean, on the north by Lagonoy Gulf and on the southwest by the Burias Pass, Albay is basically an agricultural community, with coconut, abaca (hemp), rice, sugarcane and vegetables as main crops.
The capital city of Legazpi is also the center of the Bicol region, which hosts numerous festivals and events throughout the year. The most significant of these is the Daragang Magayon Festival in April, a monthlong rousing celebration of the region’s culture, which features the Higantes parade of giant (well over 10 feet tall) papier maché creatures of local mythology, including characters from the “Ibalong” epic like Oryol, Handing and Bantong. The Mayon 360º Ultramarathon (www.mayon360.com), scheduled for May 13 this year, is an 80-km run around the circumference of the fabled volcano crossing three cities, seven municipalities and 77 barangays. The race, which has gained popularity among sports enthusiasts, starts and ends in Legazpi City.
Yesterday, Legazpi played host to the flag off of the 2017 Le Tour de Filipinas, the only Philippine cycling tournament sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale, Asian Cycling Federation and Philippine Cycling Federation. Fifteen teams from 13 countries are competing in the four-day race which covers 726.55 kilometers from Legazpi to Sorsogon to Naga to Daet and ends in Lucena City in Quezon province on Feb. 21. This 8th edition of Le Tour kicks off the Asia Tour cycling season.
Also this month, the town of Daraga – in the higher reaches of the old Cagsawa town where the villagers relocated for safety during the 1814 eruption – celebrates the 6th edition of the Cagsawa Festival, a month-long event featuring Daraga’s history, heritage and attractions. The town is at the core of Albay’s culinary tourism program with the presence of homegrown restaurants such as Balay Cena Una, Alvi’s Café, Balay Bicol, Casa Lorenzo Food and Culture, and First Colonial Grill. The latter is home of sili ice cream, an award-winning trademark Bicol dessert for the brave of heart and tastebud.
On Feb. 21, there will be a cultural presentation and street dance competition featuring contingents depicting events surrounding the 1814 eruption.
The beautiful Lady Mayon constantly beckons, and as the summer blooms erupt in full splendor, many will find themselves drawn to Albay, to pay her homage and bask in her beauty and the bounty of the province.