God is our best protector

It was about 12:30 Philippine time of February 6 when we noticed that the FB messages from the Philippines started to center on a very strong earthquake that hit Cebu. The initial messages were varied, ranging from the calm reactions of some to the near panic response of a number.

From Japan, we immediately went on livestream with DYAB and true enough, an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 that hit Negros and Cebu was being confirmed and reported.  We then proceeded to call our children, Yaya Roni, our foster brother Aki in Bohol and others, and praise the Lord they were all safe, although a little shaken by the unexpected strong quake.

We started communicating with those online and at the same time, actively monitoring and confirming from various local and global sources about the intensity and location of the strong earthquake.

Then, we realized there were a significant number already in panic mode being reported in Facebook - panic  in Pasil,  cars rushing to get to Busay, because of the threat of tsunami!

Fortunately, Leo Lastimosa was also online on FB and we sent a message to him to urgently inform the people about the real state of the tsunami alert. He immediately responded and wrote to all in his FB that the earlier tsunami alert had been cancelled and everyone should stay calm.

We also asked him to ask their DYAB reporters to immediately calm the people that the news about the pending tsunami was false. Thankfully, the DYAB reporters were already on air, quickly telling the people the truth and the reliable news that no tsunami was coming and that the best they should do was to calm down and to check first the reliability of the news to avoid unnecessary panic.

Aftershocks continued and may still be expected after a major earthquake. We pray the number of casualties will not increase through the days. We pray for the eternal rest and peace of the earthquake victims and peace as well in the hearts of their loved ones left behind. We continue to thank the Lord for His protection and love for all.

And in the midst of these uncertain times, during crisis moments, we pray that all will stay calm, await reliable news, and most importantly, stay in faith and to remember to pray and trust God.

The panic that we all witnessed last Monday is also another very sad, telling testimony of the failure of local governments, once again, to serve and to protect our people.

Still, we hope that preparing for disasters and doing so urgently now, although late, will be better for all, with everyone’s cooperation crucially needed.

We hope survival management teams can be organized soonest so that people know clearly what to do, where to go, and how best to survive whatever emergency may come. Whether they be at home, in school, in the malls or in their offices, or inside vehicles or elsewhere, the survival management system should already be so clear that people will calmly proceed to go to safe zones where they will be assured of water and basic supplies to tide them over the emergency period.

Everyone’s cooperation and calm disposition are crucial at this point. And most important of all, let  everyone  pray and believe that God who loves us best will continue to take best care of us, that God is our best protector.

With Typhoon Sendong in Mindanao in December and then now, this strong February earthquake in the Visayas, we remembered Mama Mary’s December 8, 2011 message to Emma, the visionary. Mama Mary (whose Feast of Lourdes is on February 11) tearfully shared then about imminent challenges coming to our country and she urged that we all must pray, pray, pray together as a nation to ask God for His mercy and His protection.

Remember to pray and not to worry, not to panic: “The everlasting God is your place of safety, and His arms will hold you forever.” (Deuteronomy 33:27)

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