ANGELES CITY — Clark Development Corp. chairman and former Angeles City Mayor Edgardo D. Pamintuan drew warm applause from participants of the International Conference, “35 Years Later: Lessons from Pinatubo,” as he recounted the resilience, courage, and determination that transformed Angeles City and Clark from disaster-stricken communities into thriving centers of growth and opportunity.
Speaking before scientists, educators, students, disaster risk reduction practitioners, government officials, and survivors of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption at the Peter G. Nepomuceno Auditorium of Holy Angel University (HAU) Pamintuan delivered his presentation, “AGYU TAMU: Rising from the Ashes of Mt. Pinatubo.”
The conference forms part of the 35th commemoration of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo Eruption organized by DOST-PhiVolcs, Holy Angel University, and the Center for Kapampangan Studies.
Present during the conference were HAU president Dr. Leopoldo Jaime N. Valdez, renowned volcanologist Dr. Christopher “Chris” Newhall of the United States Geological Survey, Rev. Fr. Resty Lumanlan, president Emeritus of the Foundation for Lingap Kapampangan Inc., and Myra Lopez of the Center for Kapampangan Studies, along with officials from the Department of Science and Technology, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, members of the academe, and students of HAU.
Drawing from his personal experience as vice mayor of Angeles City during the eruption, Pamintuan narrated the tense days leading up to June 15, 1991, when government officials, scientists, and local communities worked together to prepare for what would become one of the most significant volcanic eruptions of the twentieth century.
He recalled being designated by PhiVolcs director Dr. Raymundo Punongbayan and later by then Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Cesar Sarino Santos to coordinate with American authorities at Clark Air Base and other agencies involved in disaster preparedness and response.
Pamintuan also highlighted the massive information campaign undertaken by members of the Jaycees and volunteers who helped educate communities on disaster preparedness and the importance of heeding scientific warnings.
He emphasized that the early evacuation of residents living in communities nearest Mount Pinatubo, undertaken days before the climactic eruption, helped save thousands of lives.
“The greatest force that rebuilt Angeles and Clark was not machinery, money, nor government. It was the human spirit,” Pamintuan said.
Central to his presentation was the Kapampangan rallying cry “Agyu Tamu” or “We Can,” which he introduced during the difficult years following the eruption and the closure of Clark Air Base.
According to Pamintuan, the slogan became a symbol of hope at a time when many believed Angeles City and Clark had lost their future.
He recounted how citizens, volunteers, business leaders, church groups, and government workers united in recovery efforts such as the historic “Pala Mo, Buhay Ko” movement that mobilized thousands of residents to protect communities from destructive lahar flows.
Pamintuan also reflected on the transformation of Clark from an abandoned military facility into one of the country’s premier economic engines and growth corridors, and the parallel rise of Angeles City as a center for commerce, culture, tourism, and innovation.
“Thirty-five years ago, we asked whether there would still be a tomorrow. Today, we stand in that tomorrow,” he said.
The message resonated strongly with conference participants, many of whom responded with sustained applause as Pamintuan concluded his presentation with a call for continued resilience amid present-day economic, environmental, technological, and geopolitical challenges.
Invoking the words of former Pampanga Governor Bren Z. Guiao, “E Ko Magmalun, Mibanun Ya Ing Pampanga (Do not despair, Pampanga will rise)”, Pamintuan urged the audience to remember the enduring lessons of Pinatubo and the power of collective action.
“Agyu tamu. We can. We did. And we still can,” he concluded.
The two-day conference gathered local and international experts, survivors, researchers, policymakers, media practitioners, and students to reflect on the scientific, social, economic, and historical lessons of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption and its continuing relevance to disaster preparedness, resilience, and sustainable development. Press release
