I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a CCTV video that caught my attention. It showed a family in the Philippines during a strong earthquake. The footage was shaking and everything happened very fast. In the video, a family was seen rushing out of their home while an elderly woman with disabilities appeared to be left behind inside.
Video Source: Jonard Pacres Abrasado's Facebook Reel
The video quickly went viral and sparked a heated debate online. Some criticised the family, saying that leaving an elderly family member behind was unacceptable. Others defended, saying that in a disaster, people panic and need to act in a seconds, definitely will save young kid first (Source: Comments under Jonard Pacres Abrasado's Facebook Reel ).
But after watching the full footage, I found myself looking at the situation differently.
The reality is we were watching a few seconds of someone's life during on of the most frightening moments they had ever experienced. A earthquake is not a situation where people have time to calmly analyse every possible choice, the human brain often reacts through instinct before logic.
In the video, the family members immediately grabbed the young child and rushed outside. Some people may see this as abandoning the elderly woman, but I see it as a parent's instinct to protect a child who is completely dependent on them.
A young child has no ability to understand danger and escape on their own. They cannot make decisions, run quickly, or protect themselves. In that moment, the family may have felt that getting the child out first was the only thing they could do.
Of course, the elderly woman was also vulnerable. She deserved protection, care and safety but we also need to consider the physical reality of the situation. A person with mobility difficulties may be difficult to carry, especially during an earthquake when even standing steadily is almost impossible. Trying to move an elderly person and a child at the same time could potentially put everyone at greater risk.
If I try to imagine myself in that situation, I honestly don't think I would be calm either. I think my first instinct would also be grab my child first. Not because my parents or elders are less important, but because I think children fully depend on us to survive.
At the same time, I also understand how painful it is for people watching the video. Seeing an elderly person left behind triggers a natural emotional reaction. It makes people think about care, family, and responsibility.
In the end, the family did not simply forget about the elderly woman. After the shaking became less intense, they went back inside and helped her get out safely. That part is something many people overlooked because the first few seconds created such a strong emotional reaction.
A natural disaster does not give people perfect choices. It gives them seconds, fear, and uncertainty.
Instead of asking, “Why didn’t they save everyone immediately?” perhaps we should ask ourselves a more difficult question: “If I had only a few seconds to react, who would my instinct tell me to save first?”
Felicia Yoan (feliciayoan11@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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