Cebu needs help; quake death toll exceeds 60
CEBU CITY—Cebu officials appealed for help on Wednesday, as food, water and medical supplies were running dangerously low following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the northern part of the province.
Hundreds of Cebuanos responded to the call and showed up at the Capitol complex in uptown Cebu City, carrying donations and signing up to help, while the national government and several local governments have also started sending aid.
The province has been placed under a state of calamity with officials saying they do not know the extent of the damage because many areas, particularly remote villages, have yet to be accessed.
At least 65 were confirmed dead, including three Philippine Coast Guard personnel and a Bureau of Fire Protection officer who perished in San Remigio after they were buried inside a gym that collapsed during a basketball league.
Almost 300 people were reported injured and dozens feared missing with these figures expected to rise as rescue operations continue, the Cebu Provincial Information Office said.
The tremor, which struck at 9:59 p.m. on Tuesday, was 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo City—the epicenter of what is now one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the province in recent memory. It tore through northern Cebu, turning homes to rubble, toppling buildings, and plunging much of the Visayas into darkness, and was felt as far as Camarines Sur in Luzon and Davao del Sur in Mindanao.
Structural damage was reported in hospitals, gyms and public buildings, prompting safety inspections and mass evacuations.
President Marcos has ordered a full-government response and ordered the heads of front-line agencies to immediately go to Cebu to assess the damage and identify the needs of affected communities.
“Our Cabinet secretaries are already in the affected areas to provide assistance and assess the damage caused by the earthquake and its aftershocks,” Mr. Marcos said in a statement on Wednesday.
‘Dire’ situation
The entire province of Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity on Wednesday morning.
“This declaration is not just a formality. It is a lifeline for thousands. We need to mobilize all available resources immediately,” Vice Gov. Glenn Soco said.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, who was leading disaster response efforts from the ground in Bogo City, described the situation as dire.
“Many homes and establishments have been destroyed here, especially in Bogo City,” she said. “What we need from the private sector is your help. Things like cooked meals or prepared food for the victims … The most urgent needs right now are food and clean drinking water. Many communities are running out,” she said.
“This is a tragedy of unprecedented scale in recent memory,” Baricuatro said. “But we will rise again—together.”
‘Still counting’
Rescuers on Wednesday continued digging through collapsed buildings in Bogo, Medellin and San Remegio, with emergency responders saying they were overwhelmed.
“We are still counting the dead,” said Raymond Frasco of San Remegio’s disaster response office.
“Some areas remain unreachable. We fear more bodies are under the rubble,” he added.
Some barangays have been rendered inaccessible due to damaged roads and collapsed bridges.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has warned the public to expect aftershocks in the coming days, urging continued caution and adherence to safety protocols.
It has so far recorded at least seven aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.1 to 5.1, all centered near Bogo City.
Widespread blackouts
The quake disrupted power and communications across Cebu, Leyte, Samar, Biliran, Bohol and Iloilo, triggering widespread blackouts.
According to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), 27 transmission lines and substations were damaged, knocking out 1,444 megawatts from the Visayas grid. The Daanbantayan substation near the quake’s epicenter sustained significant structural damage.
The earthquake caused a landslide in Leyte town, cracked bridges in Biliran and Samar, and even forced the evacuation of hospital patients and BPO workers as aftershocks continued into the early hours of Wednesday.
Volunteers needed
Aside from relief goods, Baricuatro said they needed medical personnel to assist in overcrowded health stations and emergency operations.
“We are calling on medical volunteers—doctors, nurses, anyone who can help—to assist in treating the injured,” Baricuatro said.
In a Facebook post, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the Department of Health (DOH) has already deployed medical teams on Tuesday night.
“Doctors, nurses and staff of the DOH Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and the DOH Cebu South Medical Center (CSMC) have reported back on their safety and are now deploying medical teams to nearby areas especially in Bogo City itself,” DOH spokesperson Dr. Albert Domingo said in a separate statement.
The Bohol provincial government also committed to send a 16-member medical and rescue team, two ambulances, and a rescue vehicle, while South Cotabato said it was sending relief goods, hygiene kits, and a medical team from General Santos City.
Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado also announced on Wednesday that Bohol was donating P5 million in financial assistance. Bohol sustained minimal damage from the earthquake.
‘Bayanihan’ in action
Baricuatro also appealed for manpower in packing, transporting, and distributing relief goods, especially in far-flung barangays that remain difficult to access.
Hundreds of Cebuanos have showed up at the Capitol, among them over 100 medical students from various schools, as well as ordinary citizens without medical backgrounds offering to help however they can.
Several volunteers have already been deployed to the north to assist with both medical response and logistics.
“This is what bayanihan means,” said Capitol staffer Mark Gallarde. “People are not waiting to be asked—they are showing up, ready to work.”
‘Adopt-a-parish’
Newly appointed Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy also launched the archdiocese’s “Adopt-a-Parish” initiative on Wednesday, just a day after his installation.
“As your Archbishop of Cebu, I am appealing to everyone to help however they can for the good of our earthquake survivors,” Uy said in the local dialect.
The initiative calls on parishes that were spared by the quake to “adopt” and support affected parishes, especially those in isolated northern towns.
“The Church can help in three ways—through prayer, listening, and financial support,” Uy said. He also ordered all northern parishes to refrain from holding Masses until buildings have been inspected by engineers.
Msgr. Renato Beltran, the Archdiocesan chancellor, said the archdiocese will soon release a full bulletin on damaged churches once assessments are complete. —REPORTS FROM NESTLE SEMILLA-DAKAY, JOEY A. GABIETA, LEO UDTOHAN, HAZEL P. VILLA, FRAYE CEDRICK S. ANONA, JHUNNEX NAPALLACAN, CARLA P. GOMEZ, DEXTER CABALZA, KEITH CLORES AND DIANNE SAMPANG
