It was in 2012 when the Chona Mae incident happened. I remember the panic when people were running the opposite direction while I was working at Downtown, Cebu. The traffic was bad. People were panikcing. But the real twist? It was actually a father looking for his daughter, whose identity we may never know.
The Cebu Daily News said this last 2022, which was before entering the post-COVID world:
CEBU CITY, Philippines — It has been a decade since the famous “Chona Mae” line was uttered by a father looking for her daughter after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Cebu, February 6, 2012.
From what was a simple call of a father to his daughter turned out to be the biggest tsunami scare in Cebu City.
“Ang tubig naa na sa Colon!” ("The Water is already in Colon!") was the line that has gotten everyone running on the street of Cebu looking for shelters up in the mountain parts of Cebu.
Today, we remember that frightful yet somehow funny day that will go down the history books of the Cebu.
I remember feeling an earthquake. I remember how stores had to be closed because of the tsunami alert. People were rushing and shouting. Indeed, there was really a tsunami warning. A Cebu Daily News article written on February 6, 2024, reveals this:
Tsunami-alert
There was indeed a tsunami alert issued right after the earthquake.
Phivolcs, in an entry dated 2017, stated that they released a level two tsunami alert for areas facing Tañon Strait, the body of water that separates Cebu and Negros islands.
These covered the eastern seaboard of Negros and the western seaboard of Cebu.
While panic spread throughout Cebu City, tsunami waves as high as five meters reportedly hit Barangays Martilo, Pisong, and Magtalisay in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, said Phivolcs.
The coasts of Negros Oriental from San Jose to Vallehermoso and Cebu from Badian to Barili were also affected by the tsunami waves.
Fortunately, there were no widespread damages brought by the tsunami.
Fatalities, damages
Cebu was spared from the disastrous impact of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake. Negros, on the other hand, suffered significant damages, including the loss of lives.
The quake triggered multiple landslides in Negros. Majority of the fatalities, around 100, were due to these landslides that affected Solongon, La Libertad, and Planas, Guihulngan.
Vital infrastructure such as bridges, communication, and power lines, were either destroyed or rendered unusable for days, paralyzing transportation, communication, and electrical supply.
It's good to be vigilant after an earthquake. However, it's also important to stay calm. So far, nothing has been revealed about who the man or who Chona Mae could be. This piece of information could've saved Cebu from panic while Negros was getting ready for disaster mitigation:
In the first place the tsunami was unlikely; there are not enough waters in the seas around Cebu City to generate a tsunami. The only way for a tsunami to happen in such a small expanse of sea is if an asteroid falls there and causes it.
However, that knowledge was lost on many people in Cebu City who immediately panicked and ran, most likely with the horrors of the Japan 2011 tsunami still fresh in their minds.
I laugh thinking about the Chona Mae incident. However, for the people of Negros, it was a real tragedy. Having passed through Odette in 2021 and survived it, remembering the Chona Mae misunderstanding is proof, "Please verify what you hear".