My romance with Mayon

Recently, The Philippine STAR on its front page carried the picture of Mayon Volcano with glowing lava trickling down its slope. Upon seeing this beautiful sight, I could not help but remember my beloved father, lawyer Cresencio Balasbas, a simple and honest man who brought us up six siblings to love and appreciate our beautiful country.

Sencio (as he was fondly called by friends) would tell us time and again as we were growing up that one natural wonder that we should never fail to visit is Mayon Volcano. My father, a native of Samar, (like my editor Ricky Lo, former manager and kumpare Boy Abunda and childhood friend Nonoy Zuñiga), had opportunities to see Mayon Volcano as Bicol is a close neighbor of his beloved province. Although I was born in Tacloban City and consider myself half-Waray (my mother being an Ilocana from Abra and Ilocos Sur), I grew up in Manila and visits to Samar were at first via the ships of Sulpicio Lines then later on by plane, (I really cannot imagine how my 84-year-old mother, who has grown to love and considers Samar as her second home, can take the 24-hour [!] bus trip to this day) so there were no land trips through Bicol for me, hence no chance to see Mayon during my younger days.

It was because of this incessant reminder from our dad that my sister Margot, upon receiving her first salary, spent her hard-earned money to buy a painting of Mayon Volcano. My dad displayed it prominently in such a way that it was the first thing you saw upon entering the house and last thing you saw before leaving. What we can never forget about this painting though is that my dad superimposed on the painting his own interpretation of the exact shape of the famed volcano. Using his own pen, he drew a perfectly symmetrical cone on the painting! We found it amusing. My sister was aghast at first, but she soon found it amusing, too. We were very proud of our dad’s drawing, showing it even to all our guests, and the painting stayed where it was.

My father had passed away when I finally got the chance to visit Mayon as I promised him I would. It was the day after my Freestyle concert at the University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City. Although all my bones were aching and my body pleaded for a week’s rest, there I went together with my husband Paul, my trusted and loyal friend Juliet, and our gracious host Lee Arroyo (niece of Sen. Joker Arroyo and present Bicol regional director of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples). The second time I went was just this summer together with Paul and our kids, and good friends Anton Sayo and Ririt Roxas with their wives and children.

I cannot find the right words to describe the beauty of Mayon Volcano. All I can remember is that the first time I saw it, I felt envious of the residents of Legazpi City, Albay, for having such a world wonder right in their midst. My father was right. Mayon Volcano is awesome, breathtaking, spellbinding and totally majestic. I needed a few moments to savor the stunning sight of Mayon Volcano – said to be the most beautiful volcano in the whole world. I needed a few more moments... to thank my dad.

The two times that I went, the postcard vendors were the ones who served as tour guides. One of these vendors, studying college and selling postcards to earn a little income for the family, eagerly shared with us everything he knew about Mayon, documented and undocumented.

Mayon Volcano is the most active volcano in the country. Its name is derived from the Bicol word magayon meaning, beautiful. It stands 2,462 meters high and has erupted around 50 times in the past 400 years. Said to be the most destructive was the eruption on Feb. 1, 1814, when lava flows buried the settlements of Cagsawa and Buiao in the town of Daraga where around 1,200 people perished. The Cagsawa Church, where many townspeople sought refuge, was not spared. Only the bell tower of the church remained. Though the Cagsawa Church is one of the attractions of Mayon Volcano, I could not gather enough courage to explore it nor even go near it as my fertile imagination made me visualize the fear that the Cagsawans experienced as the lava started flowing from Mayon slowly burying their town.

Legazpi City, perhaps the most visited and eulogized among Bicol cities and known to be the Gateway City of Bicol, is a few kilometers south of the volcano. There are comfortable air-conditioned four-star hotels that could give you wonderful views of Mt. Mayon. There are discos, karaoke bars, cool forests, sandy beaches and a friendly people. Another reason to stay in and keep coming back to Legazpi City is its well-known market that offers an array of world-class handicrafts made of abaca or other native materials, at unbelievably low prices!

As I was leaving Legazpi City towards Donsol, Sorsogon, I gave Mt. Mayon one last glance and my fertile imagination was at it again. I saw my dad at its summit, smiling down on me. I promised to be back again.

(Thank you for your comments. E-mail author at [email protected])