At least 72 people were reported dead and 294 others injured after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off Bogo City, Cebu on September 30, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The quake, which struck at 9:59 p.m. and registered Intensity 7 in parts of northern Cebu, caused widespread devastation across several municipalities, including Bogo, Medellin, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, and Tabuelan.
NDRRMC latest report said 47,221 families or about 170,959 individuals were affected, with many forced to flee their homes. Around 20,000 people are currently staying elsewhere.
Damage assessments showed that 597 houses were destroyed or damaged, including 96 totally wrecked and 501 partially damaged.
Infrastructure also sustained damage, with 87 government facilities, roads, and bridges affected, including cracks in Bogo City Hall, damage at the Cebu Provincial Hospital, and partial collapses in schools and barangay halls.
Power and communication lines were also disrupted. The earthquake left 85 cities and municipalities without electricity, with only partial restoration so far, while three Cebu towns remain without communication lines.
Two seaports in northern Cebu—Hagnaya in San Remigio and Polambato in Bogo—were rendered non-operational, stranding at least 214 passengers. Government agencies have since been mobilized to assist affected communities.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended ₱5.6 million worth of humanitarian aid, reaching 6,800 families. The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard deployed 274 personnel and 15 assets for search, rescue, and retrieval operations.
To date, 53 cities and municipalities in Central Visayas have been placed under a state of calamity, enabling local governments to access emergency funds and resources for relief and recovery.
NDRRMC Chairman and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., together with other Cabinet secretaries and national government officials, met with Cebu Provincial Governor Pamela Baricuatro and local leaders at the Joint Operations Center in Bogo City on Wednesday.
The officials also visited the Bogo Provincial Hospital and City Hall to conduct a situation assessment.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is expected to visit Cebu this Thursday (October 02) to conduct post-earthquake situation briefing at the ground zero with national and local government officials and personally check on the condition of disaster survivors.
