Good Morning Judge: Nature’s phenomenon

STARGAZERS were treated to a beautiful spectacle last night (Wednesday, January 21) as the Super Blue Blood Moon appeared on the eastern side of the horizon. Visible to the naked eye, the moon started to turn yellowish as the lunar eclipse began when the earth’s shadow totally blocked the moon. Viewers were able to see the copper-colored moon for about an hour. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology authorities, the phenomenon is doubly significant as the next super blue moon would appear in 2037 or after 19 years or so. In Albay province, the beautiful Mayon volcano has continued to vent its ire as reports filtered that “the threat of catastrophic mudflow” is building on its slopes while nearly 90,000 residents have been moved out of harm’s way. Experts have reported that Mayon has spewed millions of tons of ash rocks, lava and debris in less than three weeks, much of it loosely lodged on its burnt slopes and which the same experts said could be dislodged by heavy rains. The Phivolcs reported that “activity continued overnight with ‘energetic lava effusion’ while previously extruded lava was also collapsing on the crater only to be pushed out again as debris. Reportedly, a photographer from the Agence France Press (AFP) near the mountain heard loud booming sounds, like that of a thunder, that accompanied the eruptions. The Phivolcs strongly advises the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the 8-kilometer radius danger zone, and to be doubly vigilant against “pyroclastic density currents, lahar and sediment-laden stream flows.” Reports are that President Duterte has endorsed a recommendation that villages in the danger zone around Mount Mayon be turned into a permanent “no man’s land” to avoid evacuating thousands of residents each time “the country’s most active volcano explodes.” The President was in Legaspi Tuesday and has reportedly given a check for P25M and another P50M to Gov. Al Francis Bichara for the evacuees’ needs. TRIVIA: Congratulations to Rev. Fr. Noe Badiola of the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral who is celebrating his nth birthday anniversary this coming Friday, January 2. Through this column I wish to express my deepest and most sincere condolence and that of my spouse Minda to the bereaved family of Ex-Mayor Salvador Castilla of Pamplona, Camarines Sur who recently crossed The Great Beyond. His remains lie at the Eternal Gardens Funeral Parlor. The late mayor and her spouse Camela Caudilla are close family friends. I was the baptismal sponsor of their eldest daughter Cynthia years back. Likewise our condolence to the bereaved family of the late Teresita Berina of Iriga City who also passed away the other day and whose internment will be this coming Saturday, February 3. Condolence also to the bereaved family of Lolita Magistrado de Jesus. Both Mrs. Berina and Mrs. de Jesus are USI high school ‘55 batchmates of my spouse Minda. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: “UNLESS YOU ASSUME A GOD, THE QUESTION OF LIFE’S PURPOSE IS MEANINGLESS.” BERTRAND RUSSELL FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE: “FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPE FOR; THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN.” HEBREW 11:1