We saw traces of typhoon Reming’s aftermath when we visited our relatives in Albay this Lenten Holiday. It was so pathetic as our uncle, cousins, and friends told their stories during and after the catastrophe. But somehow, they were slowly recovering from their losses.
We are curious if Albay’s tourist attractions are greatly affected by the typhoon so off we went for a visit. We were so grateful to our uncle in Tabaco, Tiyo Jaime for providing us one of his passenger jeepneys and his driver Danny. I paid for the gasoline and the estimated daily earning of Danny. Together with my family, we enjoined my nephews Macky, Ambet, and Bimbo to join us.
Me and Pao waiting for Mayon Volcano to say hello to us.
Our first destination is in Cagsawa Ruins, one of the famous tourist attractions in Albay.
From Tabaco City, we passed by several towns until we reached Baryo Busay in Daraga. As we entered the parking area, I was greatly affected as I saw a barren land. There were no plants but only a few grasses in the vast area as it was all covered by sand. There were piles of black sands, big rocks, and stones beside the clear road. It pains me to see those trees with no leaves at all, only withered branches. The used to be “full of life” road was now a lonely and deserted area.
The barren road
The jeepney was parked near a little river. We traversed a non-cemented road until we reached a small river again with a makeshift bridge made of a coconut tree and a thin wooden handrail. This leads to the well-known spot.
Sudden anguish bound my heart as I imagined the scenario when typhoon Reming ravaged Albay and so the reported dead. On the brighter side, I was still thankful because the famous Ruins wasn’t affected as the heavy mud flown in a different direction.
The dried river
As I saw the belfry again, it reminded me of the tragic story of the church which was buried when the Mayon Volcano erupted on February 1, 1814. The people seek refuge in the church knowing that they will be saved there. Unfortunately, they were buried inside by the flowing lahar. What was left were the bell tower and the memory of one of the worst eruptions of the volcano. That was the story that my grannies always told us when we were little kids. Aside from the story about aswang and engkanto. Yay!
Mayon Volcano had been hiding from the clouds since the moment we arrived. I kept on waiting for this elusive sight to appear and just like the first time we set foot here, the majestic volcano never came out. It only means we have to go back!
The elusive Mayon Volcano is still hiding when we left the place
What was new in our second visit was the statue of “Jesus Christ, Lord of Divine Mercy” found near the entrance.
Visitors flocked to the souvenir stores to buy bags, coin purses, hats, colorful hanging chandeliers, and slippers made of abaca. There were also pili nuts, t-shirts, and cute little items for table display.
The municipality of Daraga was responsible for taking care of this wonderful scenic spot. How I wish a fast renovation of the bridge could be done the soonest time so the tourism in Albay will not suffer.
Bicol is a region that is frequently visited by typhoons. Bicolanos had been surviving from the wrath of Mother Nature. It will take two to three years to rebuild their lives. And sooner they will rise again from this situation.
Next stop, Busay Falls