EDITORIAL - Wakeup call

The tragedy that befell a number of centuries-old churches in Bohol and Cebu in the aftermath of the massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the Visayas last Tuesday could be seen in a positive light in at least respect.

The destruction of these historical and heritage sites could be a blessing in disguise, in that it can call the attention of the concerned authorities to the previously unseen dangers that these very old structures pose to the public that either visit or practice their faith in them.

Before the earthquake, the structural integrity of these venerable edifices have been largely ignored or taken as a matter of course. The real danger of a collapse from an earthquake never stood in the way of worship and public viewing.

That hardly any casualties were reported in the collapse of these old churches can be attributed to an incredible stroke of good luck. Or it can be a real miracle, a consolation that can temper the bitterness and hurt many people must have felt in light of the tragedy.

But miracles are what they are because they do not happen every day. And when they happen, they always carry with them great messages that are life-changing. Lessons from these life-changing messages must never be ignored. They need to be squeezed for whatever they are worth.

Almost immediately, the lesson that immediately pops up from the rubble of the destruction is that prudence is the best way to face nature's unpredictable, if inevitable, wrath. There is an urgent need to assess the structural integrity of the remaining edifices that have survived.

More than the tragedy that befell these historical landmarks is the greater human tragedy that lurks in the recesses of human complacency. There is not a minute to lose. In fact, for the duration that aftershocks are still continuing, it makes great sense to make public safety prevail over anything else temporarily.

As a predominantly Catholic country that sits prominently in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, it should go without saying that the scores more of surviving old churches need to be quickly assessed for their strength and safety, especially since only God knows when the next earthquake may happen.