Hello everyone, for today’s blog, this isn’t one of my usual posts. I just felt the need to share what I truly felt after everything that happened. The past days have been heavy and unforgettable, and writing this is my way of letting it out.
Last September 30, 2025 almost 10 p.m. —what was supposed to be a calm and peaceful night turned into one of the scariest moments of our lives. In just a few seconds, everything changed. Houses in Northern Cebu began to shake, and cries filled the air. People were screaming, praying, and holding on to their loved ones, hoping the ground would stop moving.
Who would have thought that a 6.9 magnitude earthquake would strike and affect the whole Northern Cebu? It didn’t just shake our homes, it left us all in fear. Even those who were already asleep were suddenly awakened, running for safety, not knowing what would happen next. That night reminded us how fragile life can be, and how everything can change in a single moment.
That night was really hard for me. Imagine just celebrating your 18th birthday with your family and friends and then a few hours later, the earthquake happened. God was truly good because He let us go home early. We got home around 8:15 p.m., just two hours before the earthquake. I honestly don’t know what would have happened to me and my loved ones if we were still at the beach celebrating at that time.
I also can’t imagine if it happened during the daytime. Our school is huge, and the buildings are up to four floors high. One of our classmates who lives near the school updated us while we were still feeling strong aftershocks. My heart shattered when I saw the photos of our school especially our building — almost collapsing. The ceiling was already broken, and it might take years before our school stands strong again after what happened.
(photos are from https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CqgXbFSMk/?mibextid=wwXIfr)
My family was safe, and I’m so thankful to Papa Jesus for watching over us, especially our 1 year old baby and our four senior citizens. When October 1 came, no one in Northern Cebu had a good sleep. Everyone stayed awake, listening and waiting, because every few seconds or minutes, a strong aftershock would strike again. We were all traumatized and scared, just praying for it to stop and for the morning to come soon.
There were no lights, and things got even worse around 3 or 4 a.m. when it started raining so hard. Everyone was outside, some got soaked by the rain, and in my family’s case, we had no choice but to go back inside the house even if it was unsafe and the ground was still shaking. That moment felt endless, all we could do was pray and hold on to each other.
No power, no electricity, and no water, that's the crisis that we went through for an entire day. But with the assistance of city folks, lots of relief supplies came in. There were ambulances, hospital volunteers, and even students from various universities who wanted to assist. It just shows that Bisaya folks are tough, caring, and willing to help one another in times of need.
(Photo from Barangay Bancasan page)
Until now, numerous donations are still pouring in, and we are truly grateful. My family and I were blessed with a lot of canned foods, rice, drinking water, and food from strangers, family friends, and relatives and we are forever grateful for all of them. May God bless all those who helped, not just my family but everyone in Northern Cebu who were affected🤍
A day after the sudden earthquake, my father and I went to Bogo City(the epicenter of the Earthquake), to buy some items for my great grandmother. I didn't even realize at first, but my tears just began to fall. As soon as we saw San Remigio, our municipality, I could already see how buh the damage was. I've been living here since I was born, grew up, attended school and witnessing how everything shifted when the earthquake totally broke my heart.
When we arrived at Bogo, the sadness hit even stronger. I was able to finally get a signal and had the opportunity to check on my friends via social media. My heart broke while reading their stories on their socials, some of which were injured and had to leave because their houses were no more. Others could not help but abandon everything, including their pets, since their homes were covered with cracks and not safe to occupy. And the saddest part… there were lives lost. Some individuals were sleeping when the earthquake occurred, and parts of the house collapsed on them.
This was meant to be home where we're safe, but that evening made it a memory we will never forget. It's difficult to describe how heavy it was, seeing your home town destroyed, listening to people cry, and realizing how fragile life truly is. That moment will always remain in my heart.
Even after everything that happened, I’m still thankful — thankful that my family is safe, thankful for the people who helped, and thankful to God for giving us another chance to live. This experience will always remind me how important it is to appreciate life and the people around us.
I just want to ask for your prayers for the people of Northern Cebu. Many families are still trying to recover and rebuild what they’ve lost. Your prayers mean a lot, not only for me and my family, but for everyone who was affected by the earthquake.
Northern Cebu may be broken for now, but I know one day, it will rise again....stronger and braver🤍🇵🇭