At least 40 students were rushed to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) on Thursday, Oct. 9, after a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck parts of Northern Luzon, triggering panic and anxiety in schools and communities, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said the students, who were brought to the DOH-run hospital, suffered panic attacks and fainting spells following the tremor that shook Baguio City at Intensity V.

“We have about 40 students na dinala sa Baguio General Hospital. DOH Hospital po ‘yan. At syempre na-overwhelm ‘yung emergency—40 students. Pero lahat sila, wala namang need for hospitalization. Pero nagkaroon tayo ng parang mass hysteria (We have about 40 students brought to Baguio General Hospital, which is a DOH facility. The emergency section was overwhelmed, but none needed hospitalization; it was more of a mass hysteria),” he said.

The DOH chief explained that the episode was a psychological reaction to fear and sudden evacuation triggered by the shaking. 

“Ito ay normal, ‘no. Siguro ‘yung mga students nag-evacuate ng building nila at baka malakas ‘yung intensity. May mga hinimatay at nag-collapse. Siguro out of an acute anxiety reaction (This is normal. Perhaps the students evacuated their building because the shaking was strong. Some fainted and collapsed, likely due to an acute anxiety reaction),” he said.

According to Herbosa, the students were immediately provided with psychological first aid to help them calm down. 

“Binigyan sila ng psychological intervention para makalma. And most of them mukhang pau-uwiin din. Although nag-set up kami ng temporary tent doon sa ER para ‘yung ibang talagang emergency hindi masyadong ma-crowd, mag-overcrowd (They were given psychological intervention to calm down, and most will be sent home. We also set up a temporary tent near the ER so other real emergencies won’t overcrowd the area),” Herbosa said.

He assured the public that no medical facilities sustained damage. 

“Wala naman tayong na-damage ng mga facilities. ‘Yun ang report ng aking CAR regional office. At nakausap ko ‘yung regional director (There were no damaged facilities. That’s according to my CAR regional office, and I’ve spoken with the regional director),” he said.

Also, the DOH said it has dispatched personnel from its Health Emergency Management Bureau to conduct post-quake assessments.

Herbosa reminded residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks. 

“So ingat pa rin tayo kasi sometimes may aftershocks. And then, in some cases, may cases na ‘yung aftershocks sometimes kasing lakas noong naunang earthquake and it can create damage again. So reminder sa ating mga kababayan sa Baguio to follow ‘yung ating protocol, dock, cover, and hold (Let’s remain cautious because sometimes aftershocks can be as strong as the main quake and cause further damage. I remind everyone in Baguio to follow our protocol—duck, cover, and hold),” he said.

According to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), about 500 individuals evacuated to Melvin Jones Grandstand in Baguio City, which was designated as a temporary evacuation center.

The PRC said it provided Psychological First Aid to 22 evacuees at the grandstand and transported three students from Benguet National High School, one who experienced a seizure and two who fainted, to the Cordillera Hospital of Divine Grace.

No casualties were reported, but Red Cross blood centers in Baguio and Benguet were placed on standby with over 1,300 blood units available.

“The Philippine Red Cross remains on full alert and continues to monitor developments while extending humanitarian support to those affected,” it said.

Earlier, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck Pugo, La Union, at 10:30 a.m. was tectonic in origin, after initially recording it at magnitude 4.8.