As a testament of how Filipinos overcome
disaster and a testament to their
Catholic faith, after the eruptions, many
handicrafts made from the
ash were sold. Visiting one of many
markets or an
SM's "Native Handicrafts" section, one can easily find
idols. My mother has a Madonna with Child made out of ash that was somehow
congealed together.
Or maybe it's a testament to their enterprise.
Totally unrelated trivia: a loose translation of "Pinatubo" from Tagalog means "Made to Flow."
Also, as an addendum to ailie's writeup, the damage was not the only factor for discontinuing Clark Air Base's operations. Some people at the time resented the American military presence and had been mounting protests. In my opinion, Clark brought many jobs and benefits, but it was also about national pride. Some people were still sore from the American colonization after the Spanish were ousted.