After the earthquake that hit Bogo City days ago, Cebu shook again at dawn of Monday, Oct. 13. I was outside the bedroom when my wife and my son got out of the room after the house shook. This time around, we did not proceed to the nearby chapel where some of our neighbors gathered, like we did nights before. I could sense none of our neighbors got out of their houses also judging from the lack of voices near the chapel. Minutes later, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) issued an advisory about the tremor, which had its epicenter near the already quake-hit Bogo City.
By the way, the word “bogo” in Bogo City does not refer to the Cebuano word for stupid like what a vlogger from Mindanao thought. I reckon the word refers to a tree (I’m not sure, though, but I think the local government officials need to clarify that).
A Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) official had earlier said that the tremors after the one that hit Bogo days ago were not related. After Bogo, quakes also hit near Baguio and in the seas near Davao. But why these tremors happened worries me, although we do need to rely on what the experts tell us on the matter. After decades of “peace” we now have to be prepared for the worst although we just have to trust that God will protect us and guide us onwards.
I initially did not think that the latest quake almost approximated the magnitude of the first Bogo City tremor, which was 6.9. It wasn’t after the NDRRMC issued its advisory that I realized the quake wasn’t just an aftershock. I just hope that politicians won’t ride on it like they did with the first major Bogo quake. That’s why I pity first-time Cebu governor Pam Baricuatro who has gotten the ire of some supporters of long-time governor Gwen Garcia. She’s not a veteran so she is bound to make mistakes in dealing with the aftermath of the quake. Her sincerity in serving the provincial constituents, though, is a different thing and it is bound to be tested as she continues to serve the province.
Baricuatro should by now have realized that being governor is not easy, especially that supporters of the former governor are questioning her capabilities. Her actions are being put in a magnifying lens and this will determine whether or not she will be given another term come 2028. She should, ala Joseph Estrada, “fold her sleeves” for the difficult task ahead. Even now, questions are being raised on the manner she dealt with the first Bogo quake.
This should also be a reminder for the people around Pam that getting the reins of government is one thing and holding on to it is another. The first Bogo quake has tested the new governor and has given her some valuable lessons on governance. She should learn from those lessons and from the other lessons that she could mine from her future endeavors as she governs. She and the people around her, some of whom are inexperienced in governance and in running a province, should learn from this experience together. If not, I would say that this stint will be a short one for this governor.