TWO strong earthquakes in less than two weeks in Mindanao certainly rattled the nerves of the people in the affected areas, but despite diligent news coverage, the tremors failed to stir the rest of the country. This indicates a complacency among the public and, we fear, much of the government, a lack of urgency that will inevitably be punished if not corrected.

On Tuesday morning, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck near the town of Tulunan, North Cotabato, causing damage to buildings and creating havoc across a wide area. As of Wednesday, the death toll from the quake stood at seven, with hundreds of people injured.