Lawmaker files bill to commemorate Pinatubo eruption

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO , Philippines  – Pampanga third district Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. has filed a bill declaring June 15 a special non-working holiday in Pampanga to commemorate what he described as “the triumph of the Kapampangan spirit” over the worst natural calamity ever to hit the province.

House Bill 3948, approved on first reading, seeks to declare June 15 every year a special holiday in the province of Pampanga and Angeles City for the celebration of Mt. Pinatubo Memorial Day.

Pinatubo erupted on June 12, 1991 but the most devastating eruption took place on June 15, blanketing much of Pampanga and nearby provinces in Central Luzon with ash that destroyed homes, buildings and crops. 

The subsequent lahar flows buried several towns under tons of volcanic debris, principally the town of Bacolor.

“The commemoration is a tribute not only to the Kapampangans but to all who braved, toiled and contributed to the collective effort to turn the tide of the natural calamity and save the day for those whose lives, property and future were in great peril,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales, now on his second term, has also authored two laws to enable Bacolor town to recover from the debilitating aftermath of the volcanic eruption.

These are the Bacolor Rehabilitation Law and the conversion of the Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trade into a state university – the first in Pampanga – now known as Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University.

“The Memorial Day will give also us the opportunity to pay tribute to those who played a big role in saving Pampanga and other areas from the volcanic tragedy so that future generations will continue to be grateful to them,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales named former Presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the late governor Bren Guiao and the late Phivolcs director Raymundo Punongbayan as among those who contributed to the public-private effort to save Pampanga.

“We owe them much, and we need to have a special day to thank them,” he said.

Gonzales said Pampanga, after the Pinatubo eruption, has quickly rebounded and is now one of the most progressive provinces in the country.

“It’s always wise to remember history and learn from it,” he said.