While search and rescue operations in Bogo City and nearby areas have been declared complete, authorities are now turning their attention to the more difficult phase of disaster response: helping displaced residents cope with fear of the aftershocks, trauma, and the lack of safe shelter.
In a phone interview, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Spokesperson Junie Castillo said the situation in ground zero has shifted from immediate rescue to relief and clearing operations, with the latest death toll standing at 72.
“So far, there are no reported missing…. All accounted for,” he confirmed.
But Castillo noted that the bigger hurdles now are psychological and logistical. Continuous aftershocks have left residents too afraid to return to their homes—even those structures already declared safe.
“It’s still difficult for residents to return to their homes. Even those whose houses were not damaged, not compromised, or already inspected as safe, are having a hard time going inside the structures because they keep shaking. There are still frequent aftershocks,” he said.
Consequently, many families have chosen to stay outdoors or in makeshift shelters rather than risk going back indoors.
Castillo explained that unlike typhoon responses where concrete evacuation centers are used, the current setup relies on open areas free from falling debris. Around 4,000 families, or nearly 20,000 individuals, remain displaced as of this morning.
Shelter provision is another pressing concern. “The tents are set up outside because our residents don’t want to go inside,” Castillo said, pointing out the urgent need for suitable temporary housing to address the quake survivors’ anxieties.
Debris clearing is also ongoing with major roads and arteries already passable. However, clearing damaged infrastructures and collapsed facilities will take time. Castillo said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units are prioritizing critical structures and roads.
Despite ample ground response teams, Castillo emphasized that recovery will not be quick. The combination of residents’ trauma, lack of proper evacuation centers for earthquakes, and the slow process of clearing rubble pose significant challenges for both local authorities and national agencies.
Government troops continued to pour in rescue and relief efforts across northern Cebu with both the Philippine Army and the Philippine Air Force deploying hundreds of personnel and vital assets to assist affected communities.
The Philippine Army reported that since September 30, a total of 587 soldiers were mobilized from the 53rd Engineer Brigade, Joint Task Group Cebu under the 3rd Infantry Division, and standby headquarters units.
These soldiers have been carrying out search, rescue, and retrieval operations, as well as clearing and roving support, in heavily-hit areas of Bogo City, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, and Medellin.
Army teams also assisted in the safe evacuation of at least 292 families in the towns of Carmen, Consolacion, and Sogod, working closely with local governments, volunteers, and other state agencies.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Air Force dispatched its Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) team from the 505th Search and Rescue Group and personnel from the 560th Air Base Group to augment operations on the ground.
Together with the Army, Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the team retrieved six bodies from the villages of Binabag and Gairan in Bogo City.
To reinforce relief operations, a C-130 aircraft ferried critical supplies to Brig. Gen. Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City.
The shipment included 812 evacuation kits from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, collapsed-structure rescue equipment from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and 170 boxes of medical supplies from the Department of Health.
