Residents rely on Phivolcs men

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – People living near Mayon Volcano have a way of knowing if it’s about to erupt.

Rafael Abellano, 57 a resident of Brgy. Matanag here for almost five decades now, maintained, “May nakikita kami, naamoy at nararamdaman sa Mayon. Alam namin kung nag-aalburuto ‘yan o hindi.”

There’s also what he described as “miraculous indications.”

“Tulad ng patron ng Brgy. Bonga na si Nuestra Señora de Salvacion. ‘Yung damit nu’n nagiging madumi tuwing abnormal ‘yang Mayon. Wala namang ash fall dito, wala namang pumapasok sa simbahan, pero bakit madumi ‘yung damit nu’n? Naniniwala kami na mahiwaga ‘yung santo. Parang nagpapahiwatig siya na mag-ingat kami at ‘wag ng pumasok pa sa delikadong mga lugar,” he said.

All that said, Tatay Rafael is more keen on heeding the advice of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

“Mas naniniwala ako sa kanila. Pinag-aralan nila ‘yan e,” he said.

Tatay Rafael admitted that as much as he feels he knows Mayon Volcano, there is a lot to fear about its seeming unpredictability.

It is a lesson he learned after losing his father as with eight family members during the volcano’s eruption in 1993.

His memory of the day is still vivid.

“Pagkatapos namin nu’n na mananghalian, inutusan ako ng tatay ko na bumaba para asikasuhin ‘yung mga ibebentang gulay. Sabi ko sa tatay ko, siya na lang bumaba, pero mas pinilit pa din ng tatay ko na ako na lang. Habang nasa baba na ako, siguro nasa seven kilometers na ako, nakita ko na lang na biglang bumuga ‘yung bulkan ng napakaitim na usok. Kitang kita ko ‘yung parang cauliflower na abo pero di ko na makita ‘yung taniman namin. Ang ginawa ko, umupo na lang ako sa isang bato. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, katapusan ko na kasi napakalapit na sa akin. Di na namin nakita pa ‘yung bangkay ng tatay ko. ‘Yung dalawa kong kapatid nakuha pa namin pero bali-bali na ‘yung mga katawan nila at sunog na sunog,” he narrated.

Evelyn Echaluce, 50, also a resident of Brgy. Matanag, also lost his father and three family members during the eruption.

She knows how beautiful Mayon could only be too deadly.

“Nu’ng nangyari po ‘yung pagputok ng Mayon noong 1993, 24 taong gulang pa lang ako noon. Pero may asawa na at saka dalawa na ang anak. ‘Yung tatay ko po nandu’n sa Mayon. Nagtatanim po siya ng mga abaka, kasi sabi niya ‘pag una saka pangalawang araw ng Pebrero, ‘pag nagtanim ka ng kahoy, matataas ‘yung mga puno. Kaya nandun pa siya nu’ng mangyari ‘yung pag-putok. Tatlong araw ang lumipas bago po namin nakita ang bangkay niya,” she said.