Who would have thought we would be celebrating the birthday of one of our bosses (in pink trekking attire and green cap) in Mt. Pinatubo's famed crater, almost 20 years after its cataclysmic explosion in 1991?

The crater which has since then stopped spewing molten lava for the mean time is now the host to a lake. What has been the source of fear was reborn into a popular trekking site among local and foreign tourists. What has sowed sorrow among the Filipinos has since then been sowing blessings, specially among the Aetas and local tour guides who cater to trekking enthusiasts.

Incidentally, "pinatubo" means "to grow". Perhaps, it was really meant to spew ashes in 1991 so that time would come that its ashes would provide meaningful livelihood to the locals. Locals have found a way to put the ashes to money as locals have now turned them to figurines and sell them as tourist souvenirs. Some use the volcanic ash for spa treatment. But more importantly than that, it has been and still remains home to thousands of Aetas.

The story of Mt. Pinatubo's rebirth showcases how Filipinos can turn the "bad" into "good" and how Filipinos see beauty in even the fearsome and desolate places.This is probably the reason why Filipinos remain hopeful despite having to deal every year with dozens of natural disasters that strike the country.