By Atty Jalilo dela Torre
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| The Santa Rosa de Lima church in Daan Bantayan in ruins (CDN photo) |
At 9:59 pm on September 30, 2025, just as the people
of Cebu were looking forward to a good night's sleep, a long-dormant fault line
19 km off the coast of Bogo City in northern Cebu, activated and moved the
earth and the waters, rumbling across the province and into other islands.
The temblor registered 6.9 on the scale, and in a
few minutes, the horrible toll was known. The San Remigio Sports Center
collapsed, killing three Coast Guard and one Bureau of Fire Protection
employees who were participating in a basketball tournament.
A hundred-year old church in Daan Bantayan, the
Santa Rosa de Lima, crumpled down. A pension house in Bogo fell down on its
residents.
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| PINDUTIN DITO |
The latest count of fatalities was 69, but rescue
teams are still digging for bodies and survivors.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
I was at home with my wife, Jane, just watching TV
when our home shook and swayed for several seconds. Power went out but came
back a few minutes later.
Over at the University of San Jose-Recoleto's
brand-new 17-story building on Colon St., dozens of students and student
assistants scrambled down the stairs from the topmost floor.
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| A Daan Bantayan resident posted photos of collapsed houses, saying relief has yet to come |
For most of Cebu City, the damage was minimal, but
over at Bogo, Daan Bantayan and Medellin, the horror that the quake brought to
the people there is still fresh in their minds, many reeling from the thousands
of aftershocks. Most of them would sleep out in the open, afraid to return to
their homes.
(The
University of San Jose - Recoletos School of Law in Cebu City where the author
currently teaches, has more than a dozen students
from the affected areas, and several student assistants. A group from the
college has started a fund drive, acutely aware that some places like Daan
Bantayan have yet to receive help from
the government and private groups. Cash donations may be sent directly to GCash
number 09192594799 under the name of Jessney Sontousidad, who is from Daan Bantayan,
and can distribute whatever goods will be donated to their unserved community
there. Residents would also welcome donations of bottled water,
canned goods, sanitary items, battery-powered
flashlights and batteries, and maybe plastic sheets to protect them from the
rain when sleeping out
