Malacañang has declared June 15, a Saturday, as a special non-working day in Pampanga province to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, authorized by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., signed Proclamation No. 555 on May 27. This proclamation honors the resilience of the Kapampangans and allows them to participate in commemorative activities.
The Mt. Pinatubo eruption on June 15, 1991, was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, causing widespread destruction and affecting the provinces of Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.
The eruption and subsequent lahar flows, lasting until 1997, caused extensive damage. The collapsed crater of Mt. Pinatubo has since formed a three-kilometer lake, now a popular tourist destination.
Volcanologists consider the Mt. Pinatubo eruption the world’s second worst of the 20th century, following Mt. Novarupta in Alaska. The disaster cost the Philippine government P31.802 billion.
The Mt. Pinatubo Commission, before its dissolution, spent 24 percent (P7.617 billion) of the funds, while other agencies spent P24 billion. The government constructed at least 13 upland and 10 lowland resettlements for 46,485 displaced families.
The Pinatubo Museum at Holy Angel University’s Center for Kapampangan Studies documents the social, scientific, and environmental impacts of the eruption, preserving its memory and lessons.
