ILOILO City – The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30 sent tremors across Iloilo City, leaving 31 residents suffering from dizziness, vomiting, and anxiety — and exposing critical gaps in evacuation spaces and the dangerous spread of misinformation.
According to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Iloilo registered an Intensity IV tremor during the quake, but so far no major structural damage has been recorded.
“Still ongoing ang pag-assess sa mga structures diri sa Iloilo City upod ang aton OBO (Office of the Building Official). We are still waiting for the report,” said Darwin Papa, chief of the CDRRMO’s Disaster Response Division.
Papa clarified that the health complaints were stress-related reactions rather than physical injuries.
“Usually ang nabatyagan sang reported individuals naton normal nga dizziness, vomiting, and some anxiety attacks tungod sa kakulba,” he said.
The official commended malls, hotels, and business process outsourcing (BPO) firms for conducting orderly evacuations but admitted Iloilo City struggled with limited areas to accommodate evacuees.
He also said false information circulating online worsened the public’s panic.
“Instead of becoming calm, nagdugang pa gid ang hadlok kag panic tungod sa mga nagalapta nga indi matuod nga impormasyon,” he stressed, urging residents to rely only on verified updates from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and official government channels.
Despite the challenges, Papa maintained that Iloilo City is prepared should a powerful earthquake directly hit the city. He pointed to the availability of trained personnel, volunteer brigades, and private construction firms ready to provide heavy equipment for rescue operations.
“Ang pahanumdom lang naton is make sure handa kita sa panimalay naton, nakahibalo kita kun ano ang proper reaction kun may linog,” Papa said, reminding the public to practice “duck, cover, and hold” during tremors.
He further urged residents to immediately report any visible damage in homes or workplaces to the city government’s operation center or the Office of the Building Official, and to stop spreading unverified claims./PN
