Save San Fernando Movement members reunite

By Jovi T. De Leon
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Leaders of the Save San Fernando Movement Tuesday gathered for a fellowship luncheon cum reunion at Max’s Restaurant in Villa Del Sol, this, city to reminisce the fateful day of Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption and pray for colleagues who have passed away.
The movement, according to 20th Mt. Pinatubo Memorial Day Executive Committee chairman and then Save San Fernando president Levy P. Laus, was born as a response to find solutions to the devastation wrought by the volcano. He said it was a component of the San Fernando Cabalen Jaycees then, and evolved to the now Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.
The group’s battlecry was “To Dike or To Die,” complemented by the stirring slogan “It’s time to panic.”
At the luncheon were original founders Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, Tony Koh, Eddie Chua, Alfritoh Mah, Marni Castro, Alex Adriano, Willie Rivera, Narciso Sula, Jr., Architect Nestor Mangio, Engineer Paul Pamintuan and Laus. Unable to attend the luncheon because of prior commitments was PhilHealth president Dr. Reynaldo Aquino.
Remembered in a silent prayer were deceased movement buddies Architect Tirso Dayrit, Oca De Fiesta, Virgilio “Baby” Sanchez, Doy Polintan, Charlie Uy and Popong Ramos.
Mah recalls that such meetings were just like what happened 20 years ago. “Like in the past [Pinatubo eruption days], it is rush again. We remember those times when we would call up each other and meet. That time, walang leader sa amin. Pareho pareho lang. Pag may danger, we immediately meet. To save San Fernando at that time, we were like an orchestra playing specific roles. Volcanologists were asking us to leave. There was no money. But through our collective efforts and battlecry ‘To Dike or to Die,’ we were able to have that dike,” he said.
Adriano, who was running the only local opposition paper Coffee Punch, recalls waking up the late Governor Bren Guiao because of the panic and being told to be calm in return. “But we frequented Delta 5 then and together with Mr. Laus saw the impending danger poised before San Fernando. We knew it was time to panic. There was no dike. That’s when we started the movement. Now, we are very happy about the result of our efforts.”
For his part, Rodriguez said the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo was like an atomic bomb at that time, a historic moment which he asked his youngest child to video tape.
“After that, I begged off from the speaking engagement in Sta. Ana and motored to San Fernando to help in the preparations. Grabe. What followed was the worst destructive disaster in a decade in the world according to experts. We were being urged to leave and lose our being Pampangueños. But looking back, masaya ngayon because tinulungan tayo ng Diyos. After two or three years, nakabangon tayo. It was even former President Fidel Ramos who made us an example in terms of resiliency. Despite the tragedy, we were able to bounce back and show resiliency and indomitable spirit,” he said.
Mangio, meanwhile, describes the eruption and the change in landscape as beneficial despite the horrors brought by Mt. Pinatubo to his house and that of his relatives and friends. “I am happy to be with this group that saved San Fernando. The eruption that changed our landscape is beneficial in a way that it is now easier to plan infrastructure. We thank the Lord for giving us the chance to survive and bounce back.”
Playing the role in three years as “field commander” in downstream desilting, Chua added: “Masaya tayo after 20 years na maganda na ang bayan natin pati na lahat ng tinamaan like Bacolor, Sto. Tomas, Apalit and Minalin. Sa tulong ng taong bayan ng Panginoong Diyos, naisalba natin ang ating bayan.”
Laus aptly describes the fellowship as a celebration of the triumph of the Kapampangans.
“After 20 years, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Pinatubo eruption, this reunion is very appropriate and of course, we miss our colleagues, six of them, who have joined our Creator. We prayed for them because they were with us noong tayo ay gumagawa ng paraan to save Pampanga and San Fernando in particular,” he said.
“We are very thankful and at the same time we are very proud of the Kapampangans and everybody who participated and contributed and shared whatever during those most trying times to save our beloved province. And now, looking back, we are proud of the Kapampangan spirit which triumphed over adversity,” Laus said.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/06/14/save-san-fernando-movement-members-reunite-161127

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