The timing of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Maasim, Sarangani, in Mindanao at 7:37 a.m. on June 8 may have helped limit the death toll. Still, continued preparedness remains crucial as affected communities grapple with thousands of aftershocks, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said the timing of the powerful earthquake that struck early in the morning on the first day of classes, when many students were gathered in open areas for the flag-raising ceremonies instead of being inside school buildings, was a ‘blessing in disguise.’
It could have been different if they had been inside their classrooms. Most students were attending flag-raising ceremonies, so they were in open spaces,’ Castillo told INQUIRER in an interview on Wednesday.
‘[The quake] happened daytime. Imagine if this happened at night. That’s a different story,’ he said. ‘The time it happens really affects the impact of every hazard, not just earthquakes.’
Castillo was asked whether the timing of a disaster can significantly influence its impact.
He added that nighttime earthquakes generally pose greater risks as people are inside their homes and visibility is limited, potentially complicating evacuation and rescue efforts.
Previous quakes
Apart from the timing of the earthquake, Castillo said advances in disaster preparedness over the years may have also helped mitigate its impact.
Compared with the 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake-an 8.1-magnitude quake that struck past midnight, triggering a tsunami that took around 8,000 lives, the death toll from the recent Mindanao quake remains substantially lower at 45 as of posting time.
Not to discount the lives lost, but after 50 years since the 1976 quake, Castillo said communities now have access to better information that was not widely available decades ago.
‘If we talk about the preparedness that we’re doing now, one thing we have are references from disasters before that have been factored into our preparedness efforts,’ Castillo said.
‘Of course, we didn’t have the ‘duck, cover, and hold’ protocol back then. We also didn’t have evacuation procedures. Those kinds of mechanisms simply were not in place at the time,’ he added.
He also noted that communities with living memory of the 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake may be better prepared, as some residents have either experienced the disaster themselves or learned about it from those who did.
In addition, the spokesperson said there is a wealth of ‘science-based information that is available right now which was not available before.’
Preparedness vs resilience
As aftershocks continue to rattle affected communities, Castillo urged residents to maintain a ‘presence of mind’ and familiarize themselves with earthquake-related hazards in their areas.
He identified five major earthquake-related hazards, including ground shaking, surface rupture, earthquake-induced landslides, tsunamis, and liquefaction, reminding residents to look out for these.
It’s not about romanticizing resilience,’ Castillo said. ‘Preparedness comes before resilience.’
He added that residents should continue monitoring advisories from authorities and ensure that damaged structures are inspected before reoccupying them.
Moreover, Castillo also said relief efforts should go beyond the distribution of food and non-food items.
He stressed the need to provide psychosocial support to affected communities, particularly children and families coping with trauma caused by the powerful earthquake and the continuing aftershocks.