By Anietie anii-bassey
Philippine authorities say years of intensive disaster-preparedness training and earthquake response drills played a critical role in reducing the death toll after one of the strongest earthquakes to strike the country in the past 50 years rocked the southern region earlier this week, killing at least 55 people and leaving dozens more unaccounted for.
The powerful magnitude 7.8 offshore earthquake struck Monday morning off the coast of Sarangani province, unleashing violent tremors that were felt across several provinces and triggering widespread destruction in cities, towns and rural communities.
Officials confirmed that at least 55 people lost their lives, while another 31 remain missing as rescue teams continue searching through damaged structures and affected areas.
More than 1,120 people were injured during the disaster, and authorities reported that over 45,000 residents were forced to flee their homes. Roughly half of those displaced remain in temporary evacuation centers as engineers and emergency personnel assess the safety of thousands of damaged buildings.
Government estimates indicate that more than 12,600 homes sustained varying degrees of damage, with many either partially destroyed or rendered completely uninhabitable. Entire neighborhoods in farming communities and urban centers have been left struggling to recover as aftershocks continue to shake the region.
Officials said many survivors remain too traumatized to return to their homes, fearing additional powerful tremors after a series of strong aftershocks followed the main earthquake.
In the days since the disaster, numerous videos capturing the terrifying moments during the quake have circulated widely across social media platforms, providing dramatic firsthand accounts of the chaos that unfolded as the ground violently shook beneath thousands of people.
Several clips showed small buildings collapsing while frightened residents scrambled for safety. Other videos documented flag-raising ceremonies descending into confusion as students and teachers experienced the earthquake during the first day of classes following the country’s extended summer break.
One widely shared video that has amassed millions of views on Facebook showed dozens of elementary school students gathered outdoors beneath rows of trees as the ground swayed beneath them. The children could be heard screaming and crying while remaining seated or standing still as instructed by teachers.
Moments later, a nearby tin-roofed shelter collapsed with a loud crash, prompting many students to instinctively run away in panic before teachers quickly urged them to return and remain calm until the shaking subsided.
Despite the frightening scenes, officials at Mahayahay Elementary School in the coastal municipality of Malita in Davao Occidental province confirmed that no students or staff members were injured during the earthquake.
In a statement released after the incident, school administrators described the event as a powerful reminder of why earthquake preparedness programs and regular emergency drills remain essential in vulnerable regions.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology credited years of nationwide public education campaigns and disaster-response exercises with helping citizens react appropriately during the emergency.
Institute Director Teresito Bacolcol said repeated earthquake drills conducted in schools, workplaces and communities had taught people how to respond quickly and safely when strong shaking begins, helping prevent panic that could have resulted in significantly higher casualties.
According to Bacolcol, the timing of the earthquake may also have helped reduce the number of fatalities. The quake struck at approximately 7:37 a.m., only minutes before most schools and offices were scheduled to begin indoor activities, meaning many people were still outside or traveling rather than occupying buildings that later sustained heavy damage.
“It’s good that our efforts to educate people on what to do when earthquakes hit somehow paid off,” Bacolcol said, reflecting on the nationwide disaster-awareness initiatives implemented over many years.
However, he also voiced concern over reports that several buildings collapsed despite modern engineering standards intended to withstand major seismic events. He suggested that some of the structural failures could indicate that proper construction regulations or building code requirements may not have been fully followed.
Emergency management officials echoed the view that disaster-preparedness programs significantly reduced the overall impact of the catastrophe.
Ednar Dayanghirang, director of the Office of Civil Defense in one of the hardest-hit regions, said systematic training provided to educators and local officials helped ensure organized responses rather than panic during the crisis.
He explained that school principals throughout the region were required to complete specialized incident management courses before establishing disaster-response teams composed of teachers trained to guide students during earthquakes, tsunamis and other emergencies.
According to Dayanghirang, these preparations proved invaluable as teachers calmly directed students to follow established safety procedures instead of rushing toward exits, helping prevent dangerous stampedes that could have resulted in additional injuries or deaths.
“We required all school principals to take one-day courses on incident management, then they appointed disaster-response teams among teachers to deal with earthquakes and tsunamis,” Dayanghirang said. “They listened and they learned.”
Rescue operations and damage assessments remain ongoing as authorities continue to search for missing persons and restore basic services in affected communities.
The Philippines remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast arc of seismic fault lines surrounding the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently. The country also experiences numerous tropical cyclones each year, making disaster preparedness a critical component of national and local government planning.
As recovery efforts continue across southern Philippines, officials say the lessons learned from years of emergency training likely prevented an even greater tragedy, while emphasizing the need for stricter enforcement of construction standards to better protect communities from future seismic disasters.
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