A minute before the clock struck 10 in the evening, a 6.9 earthquake awakened the people of Bogo City from their sleep. The earthquake that happened last September 30 had affected a total of 747,979 people, with reported deaths at 79, and 559 were injured.
Ten days later, another massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 hit Davao Oriental and its surrounding provinces at 9:43 AM, triggering a 30-centimeter tsunami wave that was recorded on the coastline of Tandag City, and was lifted four hours later.
While other people are mourning the loss of their families and homes, digital creators used it as an opportunity to make a profit out of people’s anxieties by spreading AI-generated videos or bumping visuals from old earthquake events. Fraudsters raised donations to exploit the goodness of patrons, keeping the money in their pockets and never extending any help to the affected families.
Aside from the acts of deceit, misperceptions about the timing of the incident circulated on social media.Online netizens noticed that the notable earthquakes happened around the time of 10 o’clock and on thedate of October 10, exactly ten days after the earthquake in Cebu. People connected the significance of the number 10 to the earthquakes, spreading inaccurate data that added more fuel to the panic and fear of the people from the “Big One” possibly happening in Makati.
On October 13, PHIVOLCS Chief Director Teresito Bacolcol told ANC that these earthquakes havedifferent generators; therefore, they are not interconnected. The earthquake that happened in Cebu wascaused by the Bogo Bay Fault, while the 5.1 quake in Zambales was caused by the Manila Trench. On theother hand, the Philippine Trench was responsible for what happened in Davao Oriental.
The earthquakes are frequently happening because the archipelago is sitting under 180 active faults and 6 active trenches. PHIVOLCS records at least 30 earthquakes a day, but some of them are little shakes that we can barely feel and only recorded by their instruments. He also added that successive earthquakes are normal and don’t necessarily mean that they are connected events.
The complex influence of social media on the public’s online behavior can be a double-edged sword. While social media has been an instrument of sharing ideas and information, false news and hearsay can affect vulnerable populations, such as direct victims of calamities, including minorities with little access to reliable sources of information.
A study indicated that power emerged as the most significant predictor of information dissemination in both everyday sharing and the simulation exercise, especially with fake news articles. This behaviorseems to be motivated by a desire to sway others and exert control
inside online networks, consistent with overarching ideas of dominance and power dynamics. To gain influence online, power-hungry people disseminated posts and served as intermediaries.
While the next movement of the West Valley Fault may happen earlier or later than 2058, this should give local government officials an expeditious time to develop strong mitigation strategies. It should not just include responding to impending earthquakes, but also in community control of the spread of misinformation and disinformation to avoid further public confusion and eliminate the continuous instilling of fear in citizens.
Right now, the best thing a responsible social media user could do is be vigilant in spotting fake news and avoid it from spreading. Correct, not attack.
