Magnitude 5.8 Quake Hits Cauayan, Negros Occidental

"There's an earthquake! There's an earthquake!"

This is what I shouted when I noticed that my desktop computer is heavily shaking several minutes ago while I was composing some write-ups for my blog.

It took more than 5 to 6 seconds I presumed for I was shocked that I forgot to monitor the time and besides I kept on shouting:

Stepping down from a bed for she's cleaning and putting our things in order beside our bed, my wife accosted me and verified, "Did you shake the bed?" I said, "No. It's an earthquake."

Later we learned that it was Cauayan, Negros Occidental which is the epic center of the magnitude 5.8 earthquake, which is tectonic in origin. It hit the said place at 1:21 p.m. Cauayan is 113 kilometers from Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental and it is 68 kms from our place.

We noted further the latest earthquake information according to Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division says that magnitude 4.0 hits Hinobaan, Negros Occidental at 2:52 a.m. and magnitude 3.0 in Sipalay, Negros Occidental at 12:26 pm

Latest earthquake informtion

Our Grandchildren's Haunting Experience

A minute after the tremor, a text message from our local executive came out advising all principals of all schools, of all levels in the Division of La Carlota City to dismiss all students from their classes and wait for their parents to fetch them.

By and by three elementary grandchildren arrived home. Shanley Jane, our grade 3 pupils told us that there's an earthquake transpired in their school.

I asked them one by one. I started with Adgel, another grade 3 pupils. She told that while she was writing she couldn't it straight. Their teacher advised to take shelter under their armchair. Some of their classmates were crying. She also told that a part of their classroom wall cracked.

While Stephanie Gyn, a grade 1 pupil collaborated with Adgel. She couldn't make her writing straight too. But she didn't hide under her desk. She also overheard some of her classmates crying for they're afraid.

And Bryan, a grade 4 pupil, went home crying for he wasn't fetched. His teacher told them not to go home straight but they must wait for their parents who are coming to fetch them. In Bryan's case, we're not able to get him. I hugged him, saying we're very sorry. Nanay and I failed for we had never thought to get him from school.

He continued rehearsing his shocking experience. While he was writing, he's moving to and fro. He couldn't perfect his handwriting. Anyway, their teacher told them to go out one by one in "duck walk and cover" manner as they're drilled on that. They stayed outside their room.

These kids were taught on what to do in case of an earthquake. They did it every quarter as per order of the Department of Education. At least all of our grandchildren and even their classmates were safe.

image credits: earthquake.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph