few seconds—that’s all it takes for the ground to move, the walls to shake, and for everything familiar to feel uncertain. Living in a country along the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes, typhoons, and floods are not distant possibilities—they are part of our shared reality.

The recent magnitude-7 tremors that shook parts of the Philippines were a powerful reminder of nature’s might—unpredictable and humbling. Yet amid fear and loss, something equally powerful emerges: our instinct to protect, to help, and to rebuild.

As a doctor, I’ve seen that true health goes beyond the absence of injury. It includes the calm of mind, clarity of judgment, and compassion of heart that keep us alive—and humane—when everything else crumbles.

Disasters humble us, but they also teach us. They remind us that while life is fragile, faith and community are strong. In medicine, we say prevention is better than cure; in life, preparedness is better than panic.

So know your plan, secure your home, and nurture both body and spirit. When the next tremor comes—as it surely will—remember: it’s not the shaking of the ground that determines who survives, but the steadiness of one’s heart and mind.