What not to do in an emergency like Ayala Mall Cebu ceiling collapse

MANILA - While it could be useful to document accidents, authorities reiterate that when one is in an emergency situation, it’s better to immediately leave the area than to capture the event.

This advice comes after an incident in Ayala Mall Cebu, where theater-goers were seen recording the ceiling collapse of the cinema instead of immediately vacating the area.

Romina Marasigan, Office of Civil Defense spokesperson said those inside the cinema should have secured themselves first.

“Foremost, our call is to safeguard yourself before anything else. Even if you want to inform the public or just to update your network on Facebook, never put yourself in danger,” Marasigan told ABS-CBNNews.com in a phone interview Tuesday.

Some videos showed the crowd slowly evacuating the theater and several people were seen pointing their phones at the sudden gush of water from the ceiling. Seconds after the initial collapse, a huge part of the ceiling fell—and this too was caught on camera.

Marasigan also noted that it was the establishment’s responsibility to speed up the evacuation.

‘Buwis buhay shot’ and social media

In his Facebook post, Charles Igot, who was at the cinema, admitted that he ‘sacrificed his life’ to capture the incident. What he finds unfortunate is that after his video went viral, he was not given credit for it.

Jonas de los Reyes, co-founder and managing director of Socialytics, a social media management company, said being first on social media is rewarding for some people.

“The mentality of 'first to post' is connected to studies of why social media is so addicting to many because of the psychological fulfillment that one gets when his/her posts get engagement such as likes, comments and shares,” de los Reyes said.

“What people don't realize is anything that you post or share online essentially stays online. You cannot edit or retract easily what has been shared, and the big issue in immediately sharing is that you can never control context,” de los Reyes said.

Calls for inspection

Meanwhile, Marasigan said the cinema incident also highlights the need for companies all over the country to inspect their establishments. Inspections should never be confined to areas located on fault zones, contrary to the current trend, Marasigan added.

“Ang mahalaga, we look at structures, especially commercial structures. It is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the people,” she added.