In 1991 on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, a volcano that had been dormant for 600 years erupted with a ferocity not previously seen in this century.

This is my personal account of the fright and confusion which my family and I endured for the period of time that the volcano remained in active eruption. When I originally wrote this account many years later much of the experience had lapsed into dim memory. In the time since this was written a great deal has happened in the affected provinces. I will go into that in greater detail in another page. This is simply my recollection of those fateful first few days of the actual event.

The eruption had worldwide effects. Climate changed significantly for many months after it happened. A huge layer of ash drifted across the skies almost around the globe, filtering sunlight, and in many nearby countries caused a drop in average temperatures. Many web sites detailing this phenomenon and other effects are available for perusal but it is not the intention of this site to go into the scientific aspects of the event.

The lives of a huge number of people in the Luzon Island area of the Philippines were changed seemingly overnight. The aboriginal tribe of the Aetas whose ancestral lands were destroyed were affected in such a way that they will never be the same again. From being a proud hunter-gatherer tribe in the mountains around the Provinces of Pampanga and Zambales they became a pitiful collection of town fringe dwellers living on handouts and selling craft items to tourists.

The United States Government took the opportunity to withdraw their forces from the Philippines in such a way that they saved face because their Military Bases were already under orders to move out of the country. Although the evacuation of Clark Airbase in Pampanga was hurried but orderly, it was obvious to all that once the troops left, they would not return.