Saskatoon woman’s family survives powerful Philippines earthquake, but fears remain

Many members of Buan's family live about an hour away from General Santos City, which was mostly heavily impacted.(Submitted courtesy of Jeanny Buan)

A powerful earthquake that struck the Philippines over the weekend is leaving families around the world searching for answers, including one Saskatoon woman whose loved ones live near the disaster zone.

For Jeanny Buan, the first priority was making sure her family was safe.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck General Santos City.

“The epicenter is in General Santos City. I do have family members who live very close to that city about an hour away,” Buan, the vice president of the Filipino-Canadian Association of Saskatchewan told CTV News.

• Earthquake kills at least 35 in the Philippines, sets off a tsunami

Since the shaking stopped, Buan has remained in constant contact with family members who still have access to Wi-Fi, allowing them to share updates and reassure one another.

“We are just so relieved that my family is doing well,” she said.

Photos sent by relatives show damage to their apartment building, highlighting the quake’s destructive force even from their city, about 140 kilometres away.

Buan is especially concerned about her uncle, a police officer who is currently stranded after transportation routes in his region were disrupted.

“The only way to get to and from that island is through a ferry. And now all ferries have been suspended, so there’s no way of getting home for my uncle,” she explained.

The earthquake has also brought back memories of another devastating disaster in the Philippines. Buan was living in the country during the major 1990 earthquake and still remembers the destruction.

“I was four years old back then, and I can still remember buildings just falling to the ground,” she said.

Among the structures reportedly destroyed in the latest quake is a major shopping mall in General Santos. Buan says it was roughly comparable in size to West Edmonton Mall.

“In the Philippines, people actually like to go to the malls as our pastime because it’s so hot outside. And now their place to hang out is gone,” she added.

Beyond the immediate damage, Buan says concerns remain high about possible aftershocks and the potential threat of a tsunami in the island nation.

“The aftershock could be even stronger. So that means if one city’s hit, the next cities around it could also be hit. I’m really worried that maybe my family’s city will be next,” she said.

According to Buan, there are approximately 40,000 people of Filipino descent living in Saskatchewan, many of whom may be anxiously awaiting updates from family and friends back home. Saskatoon has 12,000 she says.

She said the Filipino Association has been fielding many questions from those living here who are wondering about loved ones.

Buan encourages anyone interested to make donation to the Red Cross to help the effort.