A failure to communicate

It would have been an experience worth sharing a laugh over years later. But it wasn’t. Monday’s earthquake caused an unprecedented episode of hysteria among Cebu City residents.

A man who ran from Carbon market to Cebu City Hall and on to Osmeña Boulevard shouting warnings about a coming tsunami was arrested by police for causing a public disturbance.

When questioned by police, the man said he was only searching for his daughter named Chona Mae.

Herein lies the source of trouble, a failure to communicate.

When pronounced slowly and clearly, the name itself sounds harmless, but those within earshot heard “tsunami.” And it wasn’t just the Bisaya accent that made it so. He may have thought this a clever explanation. (Did someone check whether he really does have a daughter by that name?)

The fellow’s desperate cries were enough to whip up a frenzy among pedestrians already anxious about the powerful 30-second earthquake that came out of nowhere. So they, too, ran down the streets shouting “tsunami!”

This miscommunication reminds us of a 1999 commercial of the Advertising Congress for Cebu, in which a vendor shouted “donut, bai” while holding a donut in front of the camera.

He was, of course, adding local flavor to the sales pitch, using the Cebuano colloquial equivalent of “pare.”

Without the donut, the vendor would have sounded as if he’s saying “do not buy,” which the exact opposite of his intent.

The Office of Civil Defense in Central Visayas said the inability to immediately and effectively communicate to the public was the reason for last Monday’s panic.

The sight of uniformed policemen joining the rush of panicky people was another mixed message. Fortunately, a stampede was averted last Monday. Some barangay officials made the last-minute decision to roam the streets with megaphones and multicabs to urge people to stay calm and refute the false warning that a tsunami would hit Cebu.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology was honest enough to admit its part in contributing to the hysteria. It announced a “tsunami alert level 2” but didn’t explain fully what that meant. It wasn’t emphasized that the alert, which calls for close monitoring of coastal areas, does not require evacuation.

Phivolcs should have tried harder to be clear. The broadcast news media that relayed the alert should have made the extra effort to understand it.

The information gap fed doubts and fears that tidal waves were on the way. This was magnified by false text messages and phone calls.

Citizens can counteract rumors by listening to radio, watching TV or monitoring news online.

It’s time to establish clear communications to avoid feeding panic.