Editorial: No such thing as disaster over-preparedness

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

ALTHOUGH Bacolod City and Negros Occidental was hit by an Intensity 6.9 earthquake yesterday, we must be very thankful that no casualties were reported nor major destruction was caused by the tremors.

Our neighboring province, Negros Oriental, though, was not as fortunate.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

As of press time last night, thirteen have reportedly already perished and about 40 are still reportedly missing. Major roads have cracked and numerous bridges also suffered structural damage, thereby impeding the transport of people and equipment for rescue and retrieval operations.

And to think that the earthquake came barely two months in the wake of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Sendong in Negros Oriental.

As we pray for our brethren in the other side of the island, we must repeatedly thank God that our province and city was spared from the devastation and grief. In the same vein, we must also learn the lessons of yesterday and inculcate them in our children’s minds to give them better chances of survival when calamity strikes.

Our school authorities should be lauded that there was an orderly evacuation of students from schools. There was no stampede nor panic as students were led to safer grounds and later instructed to proceed home.

Government was quick to react in sending employees home to ensure their safety and to grant them the opportunity to see to their children’s safety.

One lesson that can be drawn here is that there is no such thing as being over-prepared for disasters.

Some sectors may consider earthquake drills and fire drills (we will already be commemorating Fire Prevention Month in a couple of weeks) as silly exercises but, when the real McCoy comes, whatever you remember of your safety drills will spell the difference between surviving and perishing.

So let’s keep those earthquake and fire drills rolling to the extent that we and our children should be able to instinctively know what to do when disaster strikes.

And while we are at it, we must also ensure that disaster preparedness training should not be limited to schools and work places. They should also be institutionalized in the barangay and purok levels.

When disasters come, there is no such thing as being over-prepared.