Echoes of the 1990 earthquake
By Eva C. Visperas
EMPLOYEES of the Dagupan City government came together once more at the city plaza – not just to pray but to remember on July 16. With heads bowed and hearts full, they marked the 35th anniversary of the powerful 1990 earthquake that changed the city forever. Some shared deeply personal stories — unforgettable moments of fear, loss, and survival that unfolded on that fateful afternoon at exactly 3:00 p.m.
“Don’t regret if you’re late. God has a plan.”
These were the heartfelt words of Mayor Belen Fernandez as she recalled how being late for a meeting in Baguio possibly saved her life on July 16, 1990 — the day a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated Dagupan City and other areas in Northern Luzon.
Mayor Belen had been managing their family-owned business when the earth shook violently beneath her feet. Buildings rocked. People screamed. In the chaos, she stayed calm. She guided others to safety and helped a janitor who had frozen in fear.
She remembered thinking of her loved ones, rushing to ensure their safety. And despite her own trauma, she turned her grief into grit. She rebuilt, expanded, and helped revive not just a business — but a community.
Ryan Ravanzo, now the secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, was in college when he saw buildings sway, power lines snap, and people scream in panic. Dressed in white but covered in mud after he fell in a manhole, he walked home surrounded by fear and uncertainty.
But 35 years later, he stands firm: “We must always be ready.” He reminds today’s generation that most public infrastructure had collapsed, but it was rebuilt through leadership, unity, and big thanks to the P10-billion earthquake rehabilitation fund pushed by then Speaker Jose de Venecia, our beloved kabaleyan, which was approved swiftly in Congress.
It was a painful lesson in preparedness — and political will.
City Legal Officer Atty. Aurora Valle remembered being on the phone when the shaking started. “The aircon was on but it felt hot,” she said. Running outside, she saw the old church tower collapse and feared for her family.
Lana Balolong, now the Supervising Administrative Officer (HRMO IV), was a college freshman and was on the fourth floor of a building when the ground shook. “You couldn’t hold the pillars,” she recalled. “They were trembling,” she said.
Councilor Michael Fernandez shared how the tragedy erased social divisions: “No rich, no poor. Everyone helped everyone.”
Joy Siapno, now PESO manager, remembered ducking for cover and walking home through waterlogged streets. “We were reminded to return to prayer,” she said.
Melykhen Bauzon, PARMC head, was a Grade 6 student when she saw the street open up on Galvan. “It was traumatic,” she said, “but I saw everyone praying.”
Even the humorous anecdotes shared by Kap Bernard Cabison of WMD and POSO Chief Arvin Decano carried a deeper undertone — that no one forgets that day.
There is a phrase that stands out from that day and still echoes in the hearts of Dagupenos: “We must always be ready.”
Preparedness is not paranoia — it is wisdom carved from tragedy. Calamities do not discriminate. The 1990 quake leveled businesses, homes, churches, roads — but not the spirit of the people.
The stories told on this 35th anniversary are not just recollections — they are reminders. Reminders to always check our evacuation plans. To educate the young who never felt the earth tremble that day. To invest in safer infrastructure, communication lines, and disaster response systems.
Let us never wait for the ground to shake before we stand ready.
As Mayor Belen said, “God has a plan.”
But that plan also calls on us to act—to learn, to prepare, and to never forget. The ground may shake again, but if we stand united, aware, and ready, no quake can ever break the spirit of Dagupan.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
