Tragic Earthquake in the Philippines
A father searched desperately for his wife and young son after a devastating earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday night, claiming at least 72 lives.
Isagani Jerig witnessed firefighters retrieving his 4-year-old son, John, from the debris of the Associated Press Condor Pension House in Bogo, Cebu. The child’s body was brought out in a black bag.
His wife, who was a hotel receptionist, was also found in another bag. She had been caring for their son during her night shift when the 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit. Despite efforts to reach them after the quake, Jerig and his family received no response.
“I kept searching through the rubble and calling their names,” Jerig told the AP. Rescuers discovered their bodies trapped on the ground floor of the devastated hotel.
As of Thursday, reports indicated that over 360 people were injured by the earthquake, which affected more than 170,000 residents. Many survivors were hesitant to confront their trauma and fears of aftershocks. In Bogo, a coastal city of roughly 90,000 people, the quake damaged or destroyed 87 buildings and around 600 homes. The port and surrounding roads were also impacted, with significant cracks and some collapse.
A Philippine seismologist mentioned that the fault line in the ocean had been quiet for over four centuries, and the earthquake struck around 10 PM.
The Philippine Volcanic Seismic Institute (Phivolcs) recorded 795 aftershocks early Wednesday. Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, the institute’s director, cautioned that additional tremors should be expected in the days or weeks ahead.
Tragically, first responder Ian Ho lost his life while protecting his 14-year-old son. Meanwhile, a 49-year-old first responder was found with injuries while trying to assist nearby teenagers, as reported by Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pan. “He chose to be his son’s shield,” she stated.
On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Bogo to evaluate the damage and support survivors. The United States has also offered assistance to the Philippines, a nation the faces numerous typhoons annually and is located in the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.”
