Day trip to Albay province- July 14

Today, we drove about an hour to Legaspi in Albay province to tour the Cagsawa Ruins as well as see the devastation left from last years 2 super-typhoons that hit this region.

Cagsawa Ruins in Albay.

The belfry is the only part of the Cagsawa Church standing as testimony to the enormous destructive power of Mt. Mayon. In 1814, 1200 people sought sanctuary in this church thinking they would be saved from the fury of the erupting volcano. All of them died.

Another view of the belfry (with myself and Jocelyn Pikal)

Ron and I









Rivers of mud and rocks destroyed 80000 houses when Typhon Durian struck near Legaspi in November 2006. The destruction was as a result of a mudslide from Mt. Mayon in the aftermath of the typhoon, in which over 1000 people lost their lives.

















6 months months later the area hasn't recovered. People continue to rebuild in this area despite the danger.


















From a distance you can see the area (in black) affected by the mudslide

























A view of Mt. Mayon on a clear day (from Legaspi airport)









Today was a very sobering day. A young boy who gave us a tour of the Cagsawa Ruins told us how his family managed to escape the mudslides, but their home was buried. Many of his friends and their families didn't survive.