The fault in our apathy

Following the earthquakes that hit several parts of the country, including a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu, and 7.4 and 6.8 temblors in Davao Oriental, donation drives, relief operations, and rescue efforts ramp up. In the seemingly passion-driven initiative rise yet another insensitive and comedic action we commit and fuel. 

The gravity of the quake is beyond disaster. Not only did it tremble infrastructures and houses, but the lives of our loved ones. In Cebu, a 17-year-old teen tragically died in pursuit of saving her mother and sibling during the onslaught of the earthquake. In another household, a mother is grieving as boulders fell on her two sons. She tried to save them, but unfortunately came out crying. In another post from PAWS Philippines, pet owners also shed tears as nearly a dozen dogs were unable to survive a collapsing building. Children also suffer from discontinued schools, forcing them to flee education temporarily, after having witnessed structures crumble.

Though the ground has shaken, so has our empathy. Events have revealed that amidst the catastrophe, our obliviousness and disregard for the seriousness of the matter can be masked by “harmless humor” and desensitization. 

Netizens were quick to call out posts on social media that “celebrated” the suspension of classes in lieu of the earthquakes. Such responses further mirror that the education system poses an exhausting avenue, rather than a learning experience. Students become desperate for rest and a break because the education system is the first one to break them. When disaster feels like a relief from school work, there is a need to recalibrate what it really means to offer quality education amidst burnout. Nevertheless, it must be in our conscious effort to empathize, rather than resort to hilarity. 

This is not exclusive for students alone, even influencers posted something that the netizens feel the need to call out. Memes about the tragedy, such as one posted by social media influencer SmartFit, immediately backfired. Their dark humor and indifference toward victims also disturbed and bothered readers. While such posts may appear simple, the complexity of the issue underscores the collective numbness we continue to tolerate. 

However, this is not an isolated case. Not just earthquakes, but even typhoons are topics of puns and punchlines. People of different backgrounds, students, influencers, and even government officials, easily trivialize people’s experiences. People are acting as if floods did not kill and floods did not wreck homes and lives. For momentary convenience, typhoons are desensitized too, all the more piling to the argument that we have created a systemic temperament that approves humor over humanity.

Although it must be noted that our manner of taking things lightly is a reflection of societal fatigue. It boils down to our humor as a saving grace because the system is unable to cater to emotional space. We are urged to proceed no matter what, leaving little to no space to demand, complain, and weep, but live. Perhaps resilience and optimism have gotten the better of us that our survival instinct is to bounce instantly and detach from a mishap, instead of confronting the reality that there are no fun catastrophic events. 

Pointing out desensitization and humor is easy because whatever we feel is insensitive to us is subject to being called out. But we must also ponder that the very system we are trapped in conditioned us that being solicitous and caring too much is a weakness and a luxury we cannot afford. This must be questioned and toppled. We have to care because it serves as the foundation of service to fellowmen. We must care because it is the least thing we can do to reveal the reality on the ground. We must care because times have proven those in power won’t bulge, and to extend assistance to our fellow Filipinos is a reflection of our bayanihan amidst trying times.

Generally, the real aftermath of a disaster must be a lesson learned, not mere acceptance of the havoc. After all, no disaster is natural when accompanied by competence and efficiency of government programs, services, and preparedness. This can be materialized through stricter implementation of building codes and structural integrity, tightened disaster plans and measures, and uncorrupted and transparent funds for infrastructures.

Nevertheless, we must bear in mind that our indifference towards the victims of systemic failures must not serve as a precedent to repeat our ignorance. Because when the ground shakes and we feel relief rather than fear, it is not just unstable concrete that quakes, but our humanity and compassion for other people. Ultimately, apathy has a measure too.