AT least 69 persons died from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu province on Tuesday night, 30 of them in Bogo City, the quake’s epicenter, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
The quake prompted Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro to place the entire province under a state of calamity.
The OCD-Central Visayas said initial assessments showed some 27,300 families have been affected.
The numbers are likely to climb further as rescuers access collapsed buildings.
Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, OCD deputy administrator for administration, said in a press briefing the following day search and rescue operations were looking for many who had been reported trapped under collapsed structures.
The shallow quake, which cut power and damaged buildings, is the deadliest in the Philippines since 2013 when one hit Bohol, claiming at least 200 lives. In 2023, a 6.7 magnitude offshore earthquake killed eight people.
A total of 848 aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 1.4 to 4.8, have been recorded as of 10 am on Wednesday, October 1, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Phivolcs reported tremors as far south as Zamboanga del Norte, 330 kilometers away.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has mobilized government agencies for search, rescue and relief operations, and for provision of medical assistance to affected communities.
“My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and my prayers include the safety of the injured and all those affected by the earthquake. Our secretaries are already in the
affected areas to provide assistance and assess the damage from the earthquake and aftershocks,” the president said in Filipino.
Marcos encouraged those affected to remain alert and heed the advice of their local government officials.
On the ground, Marcos said, are personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ensure that roads and bridges are safe and passable; Department of Energy, for electricity restoration; Department of Social Welfare and Development, for provision of food and non-food relief items; and the Department of Health, to attend to the affected communities.
Additional personnel from the Bureau of Fire and Protection and the Philippine National Police have been deployed to assist in search and rescue operations and ensure order on the ground.
Marcos said the OCD and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) are coordinating the operations and ensuring a smooth and orderly response.
The Department of Transportation, through the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), has deployed eight search-and-rescue K9 teams, and dispatched the BRP Teresa Magbanua with medical personnel and emergency supplies.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said medical teams from the Cebu South Medical Center and the Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital have been deployed to attend to the injured and provide emergency care.
`Golden hour’
Alejandro said 22 have died in San Remigio town in Cebu province including three Coast Guard personnel, 10 in Medellin town, five in Tabogon town, and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan towns.
Mariano Martinez, mayor of San Remigio close to Bogo, said there were 11 casualties in the area, with victims as young as 12 and the death toll is expected to climb.
“Our first main problem is finding the casualties, identifying people who need help,” he told DZMM radio, adding many homes had suffered damage.
Earthquake-monitoring agencies put the quake’s depth at around 10 kms and recorded multiple aftershocks. There was no tsunami threat following the quake.
The Philippines lies in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. The country had two major earthquakes in January, with no casualties reported.
Alejandro said the “center of gravity” of the government’s response efforts are Bogo City and neighboring municipalities, noting that aid and responders were being transported to these areas.
“Severely hit were Bogo City, San Remigio and Medellin. The damage and deaths are concentrated in these areas,” said Alejandro.
“We have to restore power immediately and we have to ensure the integrity of structures,” Alejandro said, adding, public works personnel have been also sent to Cebu to inspect to buildings.
“Right now, the priority is search and rescue,” Alejandro said, adding that military personnel and other workers were heading to Cebu to aid in the rescue of trapped victims.
The Department of Health will send additional workers to the Bogo City district hospital, which he said is overwhelmed by patients.
“We are still in the golden hour,” he said in a press briefing before noon on Wednesday, referring to the 24-hour period when there is a big chance of finding and rescuing survivors.
“We’re still receiving reports that some barangays still need assistance in terms of rescue.
“We are still in the golden hour where we can still save more lives,” Alejandro said, noting that first responders were able to rescue trapped victims but could not immediately give figures.
In Bogo City, some 1,000 residents remained in open spaces, pending inspection of their homes.
San Remigio Vice Mayor Alfie Reynes appealed for food and water for evacuees, as well as heavy equipment to aid search and rescue workers.
Reynes said among those killed were people who were playing basketball in a sports complex when it partially collapsed.
“It is raining heavily and there is no electricity so we really need help, especially in the northern part because there’s a scarcity of water after supply lines were damaged by the earthquake,” Reynes said.
Local media posted videos of people rushing out of their homes as the ground shook and buildings collapsed, including a church that was more than 100 years old.
Cebu, one of the Philippines’ most popular tourist destinations, is home to 3.4 million people.
Foreign assistance
Alejandro said the government has notified neighboring countries about a possible Philippine appeal for assistance.
“We have alerted neighboring countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the event we need international rescue teams,” he said, adding, an inter-agency coordinating group is determining if there is such a need.
Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez ordered the Central Visayas police regional office to activate its Disaster Incident Management Task Force to help in immediate damage and needs assessment.
He said the PNP Engineering Service is also on standby “for possible rendering of assistance in the structural integrity inspection of buildings and establishments.”
The PNP’s Public Information Office said initial reports from the field confirmed “structural damage and disruptions.”
It said it monitored a fire incident at SM Consolacion, collapse of a tunnel in Mambaling, “heavy damage to commercial establishments in Cebu City, and a collapsed church in Daanbantayan.”
“Several areas, including Talisay City, Bogo, Danao, Toledo, and other northern municipalities, also experienced widespread power outages,” it added.
Churches, historic structures, objects
The Archdiocese of Cebu asked parishes affected by the tremor “to refrain from using your churches for the celebration of the Holy Mass” pending structural assessment.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through our NHCP Materials Research Conservation Division, advised “caretakers of moveable historic objects” to help “secure the premises of the structure and protect entry and exit points to deter kibitzers and unnecessary people from entering.”
The NHCP said that once it had been deemed safe to enter the structures, the caretakers should document and take photographs of damaged objects and “with utmost care, retrieve and wrap the objects if possible with Japanese tissue/clean cloth on sturdy boxes, taking as many broken parts as you can. If circumstances permit, label and group various broken parts together for easier identification later.”
“It is important to retrieve at the soonest time, the damaged objects as they are prone to further damages should aftershocks occur, or heavy rains, etc., and in the case of damaged and unguarded buildings, thieves and vandals,” the NHCP said in its advisory.
Prayers
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he stands in “solidarity with the people of Cebu” and nearby provinces.
“We extend our prayers to all those affected and express deep gratitude to the first responders and volunteers who continue to provide assistance and help,” Sotto said.
Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano said “our prayers” are with the Cebunaos “who were shaken by this earthquake.”
“This earthquake reminds us that the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world … Government action is crucial, but so is the spirit of bayanihan. Time and again, Filipinos have proven that in moments of crisis, we rise together,” he said.
He added that his office is coordinating with concerned agencies to assess the urgent needs and channel assistance where they are most needed.
Sen. Francis Escudero extended his condolences and called on authorities to conduct strict inspection on infrastructures to determine if they can withstand strong earthquakes.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said her team delivered two truckloads of drinking water to the Cebu Provincial Hospital after she learned there is a shortage of potable water in the area.
At the Lower House, Speaker Faustino Dy III condoled with the families and said the chamber is coordinating with other agencies to send assistance.
The Office of the Vice President vowed to provide assistance through its satellite offices in
Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Panay and Negros Islands. – With Gerard Naval, Raymond Africa, Wendell Vigilia and Reuters
