It is a great day and a cloudy morning in Baguio, a cold morning and a great day to start a cup of coffee. People are greeting each other “Happy Halloween” with a smile on their faces. The children are getting their costumes ready and are jumping in excitement to ask their neighbours “trick or treat?” Some are putting makeup to their kids to make them look like a corpse bride, scarecrow, a bloody nurse or soldier, and a different theme that will make the kids look spooky.
Everything was calm during the Halloween in Baguio; it was indeed a “Happy Halloween.” SM Baguio is filled with over 2000 people for this year’s trick or treat with over 400 kids in their terrifying yet adorable costume, participated in the SM’s “Too Cute to Spook” costume contest. Everyone is having fun that day, not only those who attended the said event in SM, but also those who stayed in their house.
In the evening, the kids are knocking their neighbours’ house and when a person opens the door, they will ask “trick or treat.” The people in Baguio are having fun and enjoying Halloween. However, it is far different in Mindanao, especially in Cotabato and Davao. It is not a “Happy Halloween” but a “Horrifying Halloween.” Before the kids could ask “trick or treat,” the earthquake tricked them already. A lot houses were destroyed, some families are mourning, and the blood was no longer a makeup, but a real one.
It was a “Happy Halloween” in Baguio, but a “Shaking Halloween” in Mindanao. Instead of visiting the tomb of their loved ones on all souls day, they were the one who’s lying in the coffin, and some are in their house or evacuation center, looking nowhere, some are crying, and some are having panic attacks because of the trauma that the two strong earthquakes have left to them. It was indeed a “Happy Halloween” in some parts of the Philippines; however, it was a “Traumatic Halloween” in Mindanao. The most unforgettable experience, and heart-breaking Halloween for the people in Mindanao, who were affected by the “trick or treat” of the two earthquakes.