“Mt. Pinatubo has not yet been visited by unusual typhoons. But there is always a need to make sure that the anti- lahar structures along channels emanating from the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo are maintained and kept strong,” Director Renato Solidum Jr. of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) told members of the Capampangans in Media, Inc. (CAMI) here.
Solidum noted that lahar debris within anti- lahar dikes in the Pasig Potrero channel in this province and the Sto. Tomas Balin-Baquero and Marella rivers in Zambales have accumulated on levels already higher than nearby population centers.
The City of San Fernando is among areas affected by lahar flows from the Pasig-Potrero after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.
He noted that at the Pasig-Potrero River, water flow has been noted to be hitting the eastern portion of the so-called anti-lahar megadike towards this capital city. “That must be watched,” he added.
Solidum also warned that Phivolcs has no intention of removing from its danger zone map an area within the Pasig-Potrero megadike where some people have rebuilt homes. “The function of the megadike is to trap lahar debris. If your home is located within that diking system, then you’re risking your life,” he noted.
