A Statue of Saint Dominic
Made from the Volcanic Ash of Mount Penatubo

    Mount Pinatubo, an active volcano in the Philippines with an altitude of 5,840 feet, in the central part of the island of Luzon, is almost 55 miles north of Manila and about 16 miles east of Angeles, where Clark Air Force Base was located.  Until 1991, Mount Pinatubo was classified as inactive because it had been dormant for at least 600 years.  In June and July of that year, nevertheless, the volcano erupted several times, throwing millions of tons of ash and other volcanic material almost 50,000 feet into the atmosphere, spreading much of this material  around the world.  Locally, the ash reached a depth of more than 10 feet.  Heavy tropical rains turned it into mud and caused massive mudslides.  By late August of 1991, it was estimated that 550 people had died.  In addition, more than 650,000 people had lost their livelihood, and 100,000 hectares (almost 250,000 acres) of agricultural land had been devastated.  The ash covered Clark Air Force Base and hastened its abandonment, even though it had been one of its largest foreign Air Force bases.  Mount Pinatubo erupted again in August 1992, causing more destruction.