Ed Laguerta: 21 years on Mayon watch

ALBAY, Philippines –  Phivolcs volcanologist Ed Laguerta has been observing Mayon Volcano since 1993. What’s it like waiting for an eruption?

Pia Ranada reports.

Mayon Volcano in Albay is due for an eruption. Communities have been evacuated while supplies are being stocked.

Behind the scenes, a man and his team of 4 monitor Mayon’s every mood. 59-year-old Ed Laguerta has been watching the volcano since 1993

ED LAGUERTA, RESIDENT MAYON VOLCANOLOGIST, PHIVOLCS: You can say, it seems to be quiet. But deep inside in Mayon right now, the unrest is very high because of the geodetic data and geochemical data that we get from the instruments.

2 decades of experience has given him a unique understanding of the country’s most active volcano.

ED LAGUERTA, RESIDENT MAYON VOLCANOLOGIST, PHIVOLCS: Mayon is a legend of a lady, a beautiful lady and it seems to be charming because of its beauty, conically shaped, symmetrical but deep inside, sometimes it gets angry and shows tantrums.

Laguerta knows what its like waiting for eruptions. Out of the 49 recorded eruptions in Mayon’s history, he’s witnessed 6.

ED LAGUERTA, RESIDENT MAYON VOLCANOLOGIST, PHIVOLCS: Sometimes you wake up, midnight or any time of the night just to be sure that nothing happens. or if something happens you will report to the proper authorities. and sometimes even thunder will wake you up because you thought that might be mayon eruption.

The Albay provincial government says Laguerta and Phivolcs has become indispensable to disaster mitigation.

CEDRIC DAEP, ALBAY PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HEAD: Ang pinaka critical dito sa operation ng Mayon to be come effective is the working relationship between Phivolcs and the PDDRMCng Albay. We usually talk to each other kapag may observation ang Phivolcs pinag- uusapan namin at nag-aagree kami dun sa sinasabi nilang situation for the counter measures we need to do. (The most critical in Mayon operations is the working relationship between Phivolcs and the PDRRMC of Albay. We usually talk to each other when Phivolcs makes an observation and we agree on the situation for the counter-measures we need to do.)

Like other scientists his work comes at a price.

ED LAGUERTA, RESIDENT MAYON VOLCANOLOGIST, PHIVOLCS: To be a volcanologist during crisis, you seldom see your family. But during normal times, two days a week. During crisis like this you have to be at the observatory to help the community.

But saving lives is its own reward.

ED LAGUERTA, RESIDENT MAYON VOLCANOLOGIST, PHIVOLCS: To me the feeling of relief is when the local governments accepted what we are saying. That’s our consolation for looking at the volcano every time.

Pia Ranada, Rappler, Legazpi City