MANILA, Philippines -- Officials and various sectors including lahar victims in some municipalities of Pampanga and the cities of Angeles and Olongapo on Wednesday joins the week-long celebration to mark the commemoration of the twenty years eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

At around 5 a.m. in the morning Pampanga Governor Lilia G. Pineda led her hundreds of fellow Kapampangan, from various business sector, Non-Government Organization and Media converged at the capital city of Pampanga to start the main celebration and the first day of the Mt. Pinatubo commemorative walk from San Fernando City capitol to San Guillermo Church in Bacolor town.

After the commemorative walk, also followed the thanksgiving mass inside the half buried of lahar of San Guillermo Parish Church in Bacolor town.

The activities also lined up the simultaneous thanksgiving mass in the 22 town parishes; Eucharistic celebration and Serenata in 16-century-old San Guillermo church, and followed by the opening of trade and food fair, furniture, photo and painting exhibits and the ceremonial lighting of giant lantern and fireworks display at the Mega Dike during the exact 20th day of eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, June 15.

Pineda told Manila Bulletin that the province was able to rise triumphantly from the ashes of the catastrophic Mt. Pinatubo eruption 20 years ago. “The billions of cubic meters of ash spewed out by the volcano eventually turned into income and blessings for us Kapampangans,” the Governor said as she disclosed that the provincial government’s quarry collections reached a record high of P225 million since she assumed office almost a year ago.

More so, palay yield in the province registered a total of one million cavans while more than 20,000 Kapampangan workers are presently employed in various companies housed at the Clark Freeport.

Other highlights of the 20th Mt. Pinatubo commemoration are the launching of the Nabuclod project, KulArt exhibit, cultural street dance, educational assistance and Kabyayan program, blessing of the view deck and model village in the area and distribution of goods and food items to Aetas on June 16.

On June 17, a wetland cruise from Lubao to Sasmuan will be held while on June 18, a Pampanga Vintage Car show and Off Road Challenge will be conducted at SM Clark and Minalin town respectively.

In Clark Freeport, (June15) Mabalacat Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales led the municipal employees in the distribution of relief goods to the Aetas families inside the Freeport during the Mt. Pinatubo commemoratives rites. In Angeles City the same day Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, led the city's simultaneous activities that revealed that the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 almost destroyed everything in Angeles City.

“While we recall the anguish, despair and hopelessness, we will also celebrate the triumph, the success, the resurrection and the rising from the ashes of the Angelenos,” Pamintuan said.

In Angeles City the same day Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, led the city's simultaneous activities that revealed that the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 almost destroyed everything in Angeles City.

“While we recall the anguish, despair and hopelessness, we will also celebrate the triumph, the success, the resurrection and the rising from the ashes of the Angelenos,” Pamintuan said.

With the constant threat of lahar flows burying the city and erasing it from the maps, aggravated by the departure of the American forces in Clark Air Base, Angeles was considered a doomed city.

“Our young people today, and first time visitors of Angeles, would never imagine the travails and tragedies that the people of Angeles faced during that time,” the mayor said. He recalled that the Angelenos had very little idea about lahar.

“I remember I made a call, as acting mayor then, for us to fortify the banks of the Abacan River, the possible path of the lahar. I thought that if the lahar breached the banks of the river, it will spill over to the nearby communities and ruin our city all the more. I even asked for volunteers,” Pamintuan said.

He said that the most spectacular sight and memory of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption was not the giant mushroom of ash that rose kilometers into the atmosphere but rather the more than 20,000 Angelenos who were in several parallel lines at both banks of the Abacan, some with picks and shovels, and the rest passing on sandbags which were piled at the river walls to reinforce them from the flow of lahar.

“The spirit of the Angeleños never faltered. Through their resiliency, strength of character, trust in their leaders and faith in God, they survived, stood up and moved forward. They have turned tragedy into triumph,” the mayor concluded.

Meanwhile, at the same occasion the Olongapo also one of the affected and devastated area in Central Luzon by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo also holding is in a historic mood and mark the 20th anniversary of Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption with an exhibit of award winning photographs taken by press photographers during the height of the volcano’s fury.

Mayor James “Bong” Gordon Jr. said the city government opted for a month-long joint celebration dubbed as “Historic June” to give ample time for local residents, especially the youth, to reflect on the significance of the events occurring in the month of June.

“Olongapo was granted cityhood status on June 1, 1966 on the same month that our country won its independence from Spain and coincidentally falling within the same period was the birth anniversary of our national hero who fanned the flames leading to our freedom.” Gordon said.

“While we celebrate, it is also time to reckon the tragedy that struck the city and surrounding towns 20 years ago when also in June, Mt. Pinatubo blew its top and struck a tremendous blow on lives and property. It was a nightmarish episode yet it brought out the best in the Filipino as shown by the fast and impressive recovery of the affected areas like Olongapo,” the mayor continued.

The week-long photo exhibit will open on June 15 at the Olongapo City Convention Center with Former Senator and Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard J. Gordon gracing the opening. Gordon was mayor of Olongapo when the volcano erupted and led the evacuation of hundreds of Aeta families living near Pinatubo’s slope.