By Hanah Tabios Almost 30 years after he took a leap into photography legend status with his iconic shot of the Mount Pinatubo eruption on June 15, 1991, The Manila Bulletin’s Chief Photographer found himself at the forefront of another coverage of yet another volcanic eruption – that of Taal Volcano in Batangas. (SCREENSHOT/ YOUTUBE/ MANILA BULLETIN) Known to his colleagues as “Manong Albert,” Garcia would often just sit at a corner of Manila Bulletin newsroom in Intramuros, Manila while deploying his men on field, waiting for their photos to be forwarded to the MB Central Office. But on Monday, January 13, his usual routine was altered. On the second day of the Taal volcano eruption, he sought permission from Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, to deploy himself in Batangas. “Although, hindi na ako lumalabas since 2006, kaya lang hindi ko alam bakit ako tumulak noong makita ko yung explosion kahapon. Gusto ko tumakbo kahit hindi pa ito ang major eruption baka sakali. Hindi nga ako makatulog kasi gusto ko talagang pumunta kaya humingi ako ng permiso kay Boss,” he said. As a chief photographer of the news organization, his primary responsibility is more of supervisory work such as deployment of his men, giving instructions to his subordinates, selection and photo processing, among others. But he said the urge today to work on the field despite his retirement from ground duties came from the almost the same scenario of Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 15, 1991 where his perfectly timed film shot earned praises from the international award giving bodies. He was among the witnesses of the deadly eruption which killed thousands and damage to properties valued in the billions of pesos. In fact, his iconic photograph, a snap shot at a raging eruption and taken at the back of a pickup truck speeding away from the explosion, was included in Time Magazine’s “Great Images of the 20th Century”, as well as in the National Geographic’s “100 Best Images Of All Time.” “Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako or matatakot kasi syempre dahil sa sitwasyon. Ito talaga siguro yung passion ko na magshoot nang magshoot pero sana naman wag sumabog as in major eruption,” the 63-year-old veteran photographer said. Despite less technical knowledge from the unfolding disaster, his experience from shooting Pinatubo could tell some similarities happening at Taal. “Halos pareho yung mga first few eruptions ng Mount Pinatubo. Kumbaga, ito tinatawag nilang vertical eruption then after, yung horizontal eruption na kung saan saka siya nagsspread. Nakakatakot,” he added. A Filipino geologist who currently studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) provided an expert’s description of Garcia’s narrative: “Right after the volcanic eruption kasi it will form an eruption column which is a mix of ashes and rocks. Soon, it will become too dense to be lifted or suspended in the air and later on, it will start to collapse. Then, it will start going down along the flanks of volcano,” he said. The collapsed materials will soon form as pyroclastic flow and surges which travels faster than a racing car at a speed way more than 100km/h (kilometers per hour). Hence, with Garcia’s dedication to return to his daily grind, especially during crisis situations, proved that his life was really at stake at the time he took the photo of an erupting volcano in Botolan, Zambales. But he said covering such events at the sidelines of danger does not only require a courageous heart, but rock solid determination as well. “Kelangan buo ang loob mo. Hindi ko sinasabing porke matapang ka, pwede ka na. Skills dapat meron ka. Importante na alam mong gamitin ang dalang gamit mo. Kailangan mo ring i-analyze ang sitwasyon—kung kelan ka gagalaw at kelan ka hihinto,” he said. The veteran photojournalist added that photos alone should tell their own truthful stories. “Tapos yung eagerness mo na maipakita ang tunay na sitwasyon, kung ano ang nangyari at info na pwede mong ibigay kelangan marunong kang ikwento sa pamamagitan ng litrato...na ito ang totoong nangyari,” he added while citing that the use of digital cameras at this age is already an advantage. It will be recalled that his iconic Pinatubo photo was taken using a film camera with only eight shots. He was riding at the back of a pick-up truck while trying to capture the volcano’s series of erupting images with no preview at all. ”Sabi ko noon sa Panginoon, bigyan mo lang ako ng isang magandang frame at iyon naibigay. Una sa lahat, bago ka sumabak sa digmaan, kailangan mo munang magdasal,” the veteran photojournalist said. Until now, his digitally restored photo continues to circulate in social media, quoted by some as “a journalist’s dedicated work.” In fact, in what seemed to be a premonition of his decision on Monday, a 2017 documentary created by the Manila Bulletin video team showed that Garcia was seen saying these words: “If I would be given another chance to cover this kind of situation, I would still do it because this is my life.” He added: “Ayoko kasing nasa opisina lang.” The regular retirement age among Filipinos is at 60, but in Garcia’s case, he still wants to put himself in the frontlines of disaster situations along with his colleagues in the media.