The real, deadly force majeure’

There was no earthquake or any typhoon in the wee hours of May 24 when a building under construction in Balibago in Angeles City, Pampanga collapsed. For still unknown reasons, the skeletal structure buried alive no less than 30 people sleeping below the makeshift houses for the workers at the construction site. On the 17th day yesterday of retrieval operations, rescuers pulled out of the ruins the 30th victim.

The search, rescue, retrieval and clearing operations are still ongoing at ground zero in Angeles City. While these efforts are continuing, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook southern Philippines last Monday. Tsunami incidents followed and hundreds of aftershocks are still taking place in many of these earthquake-stricken areas.

As of this writing, 37 individuals were reportedly killed in Gen. Santos City, Saranggani, Davao del Sur, Cotabato and other areas in Mindanao. In the areas hardest hit by the strong tremor, several buildings and concrete house crumbled, while high-rise structures swayed with the shaking of earth’s tectonic plates.

Thankfully, the earthquake took place early 7 o’clock Monday morning when most government and private offices, mall stores and other establishments have not opened yet for business and operations. But it was the first day of classes when teachers and students returned to their schools after vacation.

By tradition, flag-raising ceremonies take place before classes start. By God’s grace, the required attendance at these rites saved the day for many young children and students as well as teachers who were all gathered in school quadrangles or outside in open areas. But from video posts that came out in social media, the teachers and schoolchildren in these southern Philippines schools seemed not to be aware of the basic “duck, cover and hold” personal safety tips.

We only heard school children and teachers shrieking in fear while some scampered and ran in no specific direction. One video showed a male teacher asking the schoolchildren to stay and calm down while he kept telling the frightened kids to join in praying.

There is nothing wrong in praying to God to protect you to survive any life-threatening event. But my parents who raised me in the Catholics faith always reminded us that God helps people who help themselves.

When actual earthquake happens, the “duck, cover and hold” safety tips are often forgotten when panic takes over. So what’s more important is to remind everyone to remain aware of your surroundings and be alert to what’s happening around you.

“Duck, cover and hold” is the internationally recognized and recommended life-saving safety procedure to protect one’s self during an earthquake. It is self-help from falling debris and flying objects in case of structural damage caused by the earthquake.

The first of these three basic steps is to “duck.” Get down on your hands and knees. This position prevents you from being knocked over by falling debris.

“Cover” is take shelter under a sturdy table, desk or other solid or strong piece of furniture to protect your head and neck from falling objects. If there is no furniture nearby, cover your head and neck with your arms and crouch next to an interior wall.

“Hold” is to hold on firmly to your cover (like the leg of the desk) so that if the furniture shifts during the shaking, you remain protected beneath it. Stay in this position until the shaking completely stops.

The “duck, cover and hold” is the recommended earthquake procedure of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs). From its website, it states that this strategy, combined with good and proper engineering practice, as the safest and best way to survive an earthquake.

In fact, “duck, cover and hold” is regularly practiced in earthquake drills in schools and offices, especially in Metro Manila where the feared “Big One” earthquake as predicted by the Phivolcs might happen. “The Big One” is a massive earthquake in the event the Marikina Valley fault system, which extends from Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan to Canlubang in Laguna, moves.

A 2004 study projected the fatalities in Metro Manila, which then had a population of 9.9 million, to be as high as 33,500 individuals alongside 113,600 people injured. When nearby provinces are included, the death toll could reach as many as 48,000 people.

Just last April 30, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch of “M7X Ready School Program.” It is bandied about by DepEd as a strategic effort to ensure that all public schools are prepared amid the threat of “The Big One” or a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

“Almost half a million homes and buildings or structures will be affected there, may collapse, may be damaged and 34,000 are predicted to die. Of course, we don’t want that. But nonetheless, let’s just prepare for the worst,” Angara said at the launch of M7X Ready School Program in Pasig City.

“It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared,” Angara declared. “At stake here are the lives of our children, teachers and those in the DepEd and the local government units.”

Angara explained the “M7X Ready School Program” aims to educate learners, teachers and non-teaching staff on how to prepare for the disaster. The DepEd targets that this earthquake preparedness and response system will be fully integrated within school communities before school year 2026-2027 ends.

But why are these “duck, cover and hold” earthquake survival practice taught only in Metro Manila schools?

The “Big One” is no longer a matter of will it happen or not, but a matter of when, Phivolcs experts warned. Then all the more that teaching these basic survival tactics should not be limited to Metro Manila residents. It must be taught nationwide to all.

Unlike typhoons or storms that can be predicted and its path of destruction can be tracked, earthquake is one “force majeure” or “act of God” that is deadly.