COLUMN | No One Left Behind

| Jonah Borromeo

Is one earthquake drill enough to prepare us for the catastrophe we all fear? Will one practice protect our lives from the “Big One”? Danger is literally beneath our feet, yet we are satisfied with something of the bare minimum. Hundreds of lives are at stake, yet we remain indifferent and careless about it.

If we stop trying to prepare ourselves for the “Big One,” how do we expect ourselves to be safe from the catastrophe? Earthquake drills cannot protect us. One standard practice cannot guide us. 

Most of the time, students tend to treat earthquake drills as a joke. They treat it as if it were a measly matter, something they can use to skip the class they hate the most. Earthquake drills are disregarded as a “free time,” not as a safety practice. We’ve memorized the step, but not the purpose. We follow the motion, but not the meaning. 

Not only do we lack practice, but we are also insufficient in education and awareness. Metro Manila faces not one, but two catastrophic faults. The West Valley Fault, in particular, holds the potential of a stagnating magnitude 7.2 earthquake. If we are going to face great danger, then we must be immensely prepared for it, not ignored.  Education and awareness are the keys to the preservation of life. 

Every single one of us should learn how to survive, not how to execute steps. Students should have the feeling of urgency— a presence of mind. If earthquakes are unpredictable, then discuss how to conquer them. 

Educate and be educated. A place of learning should never be transformed into a graveyard.