Magnitude 6.9

I learned a valuable lesson today: live the day as if it were your last.

It all started during our Catholic Life Formation class wherein we were talking about our mothers and our unforgettable experiences with them. We all bursted into tears when we heard stories from our classmates. I then realized how important my mom is, though I hate her sometimes, but still. I admit that I can't live without her and my dad, too.

Then during our Computer class, we were talking about the "future" and how technology will be dominant in our world, most especially in all educational institutions. Our teacher shared about La Salle having Tablets instead of computers and books. And we really went "whoooooooa!" with all the information she shared.

Then lunch time. At 11:49 AM in the school cafeteria ground floor. As I was about to be settled on a table with my lunchmate, the ground started to shake, the lights flickered, and everyone panicked. And I didn't have time to go out first with everyone inside yet. As a member of the school's disaster management team, I had to let the students and teachers evacuate first and make sure they're all safe and calm. Good thing I wasn't the only DMT member around.

Then we all went out and allowed the students from the second floor to move down fast. Then I went to one of the evacuation sites, the school grounds, and started to double check if everyone was around. Some were crying, some still had food on their mouths, but one couldn't wipe off the shock from their faces.

When we were all settled, we prayed as one institution.

Thereafter, we went back to our normal lunch period-ness. After taking my lunch, I went back to the classroom with some of my classmates and fellow DMT members. What alerted us was when our class president noted to us the still-shaking electric fans inside. Though we didn't feel any ground shaking, the fans were dangerous in our eyes because if those would swing harder, then they might fall down, STRAIGHT to the seat of our class president which was one chair away from mine.

What was more interesting and terrifying was the floor of a neighboring fourth year classroom. A part of it elevated and it was as if the two parts of their floor was to overlap one another. I swear it was a perfect model for continental drift. Then news spread in our corridor that there was a leak on the wall of a grade 4 classroom and a leak on the floor of a first year classroom, which was something I didn't verify today yet.

Then, the fans started to violently shake. An aftershock, oh my goodness! People on the second floor, and I mean ALL PEOPLE on the second floor, started to panic and did the duck-cover-hold gesture and started running down the stairs which caused the people on the ground floor to panic as well. Many were crying, many were hyperventilating and I swear we were running out of paper bags and eucalyptus oil to relax the students.

We all prayed and I would've had knelt. Seriously. We all needed guidance and strength from God for what had happened earlier. After praying the Rosary, some DMT members were tasked to inspect the building with some appointed teachers. The remaining members were asked to proceed to the Information office where parents started to flock to fetch their children. We were given with departure slips and asked to give them to the students in question and send and accompany them to the office for them to be fetched. It was an amazing experience. The departure part, not the earthquake. We were like real-life Rescue Team of some sort. Running along the hallways, going up and down the stairs, and carrying the bags and strollers of crying children.

Two hours later, I decided to go back to our classroom to rest. When I arrived, our class adviser and classmates told me that my father was waiting for me in the Information office. I actually talked to him and told him to fetch me at 4 PM instead since we had to let the other students evacuate first before the DMT members could leave (according to my co-member). And then, we had a little chitchat and all that stuff and then, people by the other side of the building started to get their things and move. We were confused since we didn't feel any ground shaking. But then, it was another thing that crashed our worlds: tsunami alert.

People started to break down and cry, including me. I live near SRP which was beside the sea. I was having paranoid thoughts about the safety of my mother and of my driving father. I SHOULD'VE WENT HOME :( But no, there I was, crying with my seatmates who lived near me and who has relatives living near me. But we didn't have any more time to loose. We let the younger students evacuate to the grounds and other evacuation sites and swear almost all of us were crying and parents were allowed to go inside to look for their children.

We were all settled after minutes of praying and crying. The administration let a parent who passed by SRP and just arrived to announce that there was no such thing as tsunami. There was no movement on water. That really relieved all of us.

Today was something extraordinary. Aside from the coincidence that during our graduating year (2008, we were grade 6. 2012, we are fourth year) there would be an earthquake, it was a life-changer and a mindset-changer. Many said thankyou's and sorry's and farewell speeches in FB groups and text messages tonight since the ground vibrated, like, thrice.

We all don't know what lies ahead. And the earthquake phenomena proved it. We all have to be prepared, have to say all the things to everyone how much we love them, how much we are grateful to meet them, and all that kind of stuff for tomorrow may not come.