The events on that fateful Monday 24 years ago, when the earth shook most of Luzon, may already be a blot in the memory of those who survived the horror.
But for officials of Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija province, one of the heavily devastated areas, the lessons learned from that experience prompted them to make their city equipped and ready to respond appropriately in case another earthquake or natural tragedy hits them.
The city has also started training an army of volunteers, including tricycle drivers, as emergency responders.
Cabanatuan provided one of the most vivid images of the 1990 devastation through the toppled building of Christian College of the Philippines (CCP) in the downtown area. Trapped beneath the rubble were more than 300 students, teachers and school personnel.
“There was much wailing and cries for help by those in the rubble,” said George Garcia, a personnel from the city engineer’s office, who was among the first persons to arrive in the disaster site.
Several victims died while pinned by concrete slabs. Those lucky to come out of the rubble were dazed and disoriented.
“The volunteer rescuers, including soldiers from Fort Magsaysay, frantically went on with their mismatched tools and equipment for the rescue operations,” Garcia said.
He said it was only when American soldiers and medical teams from the US Naval Station in Subic, led by then Olongapo City Mayor Richard Gordon, arrived that the search, rescue and retrieval operations became systematic and faster.
When the operations were completed, authorities counted 133 dead in the collapsed CCP building.
Cabanatuan’s 1990 experience showed its “unpreparedness,” but local officials said they did not want a repeat of the tragedy and that they would be ready any time disaster strikes.