Mt. Pinatubo Travel Advisory

Now that the rainy season is upon us all, the Department of Tourism – Region III has issued a travel advisory warning all foreign and local tourists intending to venture into the medium heights of Mt. Pinatubo to exercise due vigilance and watchfulness in case of a heavy downpour.

This was the announcement made by Regional Director Ronaldo P. Tiotuico in a travel advisory issued recently.

Tiotuico expressed concern over the safety and security of tourists who pay homage to the Aeta - revered volcano in view of the announcement of Pagasa that a string of typhoons is bound to hit the country within the next few months. Tourists are advised to seek travel advisory on weather condition permeating in areas close to the mountain from the local government units or Pagasa. The rule of thumb is that whenever there is a typhoon brewing, it is best to keep out of harm’s way by postponing one’s trip to a later date, preferably from October to May, or if not possible, wait for the sun to shine for a week or so when the current along O’ Donnell river in Capas, Tarlac becomes stable. The same is true for other mountain trails en route to the crater such as the so-called Porac Peak in Pampanga and that in Sapangbato, Angeles City.

On the infrastructure development and introduction of recreational activities in the crater, Phivolcs, which is mandated to evaluate volcanic hazards and monitor activities which may have an impact on any tourism program in the area, said that any infrastructure development therein should have the approval of DPWH or the local government units in support of the area master plan. In addition, people entering and utilizing the crater lake as a recreational site must observe safety precautions. This is due mainly to the frequent occurrences of rock falls and landslide on the crater wall. Such active occurrences are evidenced by the existence of significant fresh talus deposits along the crater lake shoreline. Many other portions of the crater's inner wall are in danger of collapsing, as indicated by huge cracks and steep slopes. Collapse may be triggered once heavy rain falls within the area. In addition, fumarolic or thermal activities on the eastern crater lake shoreline are risky and may cause scalding or burns upon contact. Moderate to strong wind will also affect the mobility of water crafts (kayaks, boats) near the breached two-meter wide Maraunot outlet.

For the guidance of all.