My Traumatic Experience: The Building Is Shaking!

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I remember my traumatic experience about the earthquake 7 years ago (2012) while I was the school principal of my 5th school before I retired in 2016. The building is shaking! A water inside the glass is making a wave! I couldn't stand straight! I feel dizzy! The coconut trees are terribly shaking! These are the traumatic reactions of the pupils and teachers of Cubay Elementary School when intensity 6.8 earthquake hits our place at 11:49 a.m. before noon that day. While I was inside my office I noticed that the couch while I was sitting was moving to and fro. I overheard from the outside the howls and shouts of the pupils. I rushed outside to check and realizing later that there was an earthquake. A score of pupils covering their heads were led by their teachers to gather in an open space to settle down and wait for the quake to stop. Some proceeded directly to the nearby sugarcane field just across the gate of the school. All teachers were in alert. They supervised every pupil to follow the instructions as I relayed to them. While the children were waiting for their parents, guardians to fetch them home, they're carefully instructed by me and reminded them in what to do just what they're doing in their earthquake drill before. A grade 6 boy relayed his traumatic experience. He couldn't believe seeing the coconut trees in a nearby place terribly swaying to and fro where in fact there is no strong wind or typhoon. An H.E. teacher told that she saw how the building which housed the principal office and Learning Resource Center shook for several seconds. The teacher was nervous while relating her tale to the school principal. Another Grade 3 girl said that while having her lunch, leaning in a trunk of a tree, she was surprised to find out that the trunk was moving and finally shaking. She was shocked and afraid. I have my own tale to share too. While standing on the ground just outside my office, I complained why I couldn't stand erect and I felt dizzy. His teachers shared same situations too. The schools division superintendent immediately issued unnumbered memo declaring the suspension of classes due to the earthquake until Wednesday to give time the city to inspect the building of the school whether it is safe to occupy after the earthquake. This is the first time in the history of our small city to hit by intensity 6.8 quake.