2.
Back
when I was in fifth grade, while at school in Dagupan, the ground shook—it
was intensity-7.7 earthquake. I remember how my mind was blank all through
out, while everything was shaking like hell and the chaos after it.
Children, younger and older than me, were crying, looking confused, and
utterly scared. I just went to look for my brother who was too in the same
school but two years younger. And when I couldn’t find him, I was pretty
pissed off not able to decide if I should leave already and head home for I
thought, clearly classes won’t be resumed that day. Then I thought I
couldn’t leave the school ground without my school bag, which was still at
our classroom upstairs. That was when I found my brother, on the stairs, on
my way back to our classroom. He was crying too, pleading for us to head
home already. I told him that we would go as soon as we get our bags, I even
insisted. I still couldn’t help but laugh even to this day about how silly
that was of me. And that if it wasn’t for an after shock, I would have
really went upstairs for the bag.
It
didn’t really occur to me that I should be scared or at least astound like
everybody that day. I wasn’t, not even as half of our legs were submerged
in black, sandy, warm water; not even seeing grounds that was opened up,
electric post bended down, and building leaning. I wasn’t scared when we
got to the bridge in Perez Boulevard and saw that it was gone. All I was
thinking was that I wanted to go home and that my shoes were ruined already.
I wasn’t a bit scared.
Thinking
about it now, I wonder why I wasn’t scared. People who I have told about
it thought perhaps I was too young then that I don’t understand how big
that catastrophe was. I don’t understand how long it would take to rebuild
the city, or that it may not be rebuilt again. I don’t understand that
people have died because of it. I don’t comprehend that after that
earthquake, things have changed drastically. Those were all very viable and
even comfortable for me to believe as the reason why I was as I was that
day. But then, as we, my brother and I were walking on our way home, I know
back then that the city was destroyed. I know; I saw people who have died or
was dying that day. I know why people then were scared, confused and were
crying. I know what just happened. I understand that people thought it was
the end of the world or at least there own end. I have a clear understanding
of that. I understand everything that day. It was actually why I thought
that day was worth living and that I am thankful to have been there.
I
say I wouldn’t trade anything for that day. That day was beautiful with
all that drama.
But
here is what I think why I wasn’t scared that day. I know I have no time
or that I can’t afford to be scared. Things have fallen apart, my brother
clinging on me was scared to death and I know my mom and the rest of the
family were already frantic about us. I can’t be scared, as I need to
think of a way to get my brother and myself home. God knows what would have
happened to us that day if I allowed myself to get scared and break down.
Note:
After
a few months after the earthquake, I heard from some people that the
earthquake was the wrath of Our Lady Of Manaoag. As the story goes her
crown, which was made out of pure gold, was stolen. It was told that the
man, or men, that stole it was a native of Nueva Ecija who migrated in
Dagupan City and that the crown was sold to a businessman in Bagiuo. I
don’t know whether the story was true but these three places were hit the
worst. Dagupan City was completely destroyed and thousand of lives were lost
in the other two.
And
as it turned out, the earthquake was a blessing in disguise to Dagupan. The
city was re-built and was able to stand again even better than its former
glory as the commercial capital of the north with in two years. Dagupan
after the quake was deserted. No one from outside the city was going in to
shop. So these business establishments, having no customer, have to entice
people by pricing everything ridiculously low. Surely, people have come to
flock again to the city, braving condemned buildings and after shocks in the
name of a good bargain. And with this low prices, people from even as far
away as Pampanga, came to shop until the City was getting much more business
than it ever did before. Also, the street and the bridge at Perez were
rebuilt, and the buildings damaged by the quake were replaced by new once,
thus the city got a face-lift. Banks also mushroomed all over the city as it
was seen that the people of Pangasinan, after that ordeal, were fully aware
of the importance of saving money. Those and of course, real estate in
Dagupan dropped to almost nothing.