Philippines Quake: 15 Dead, 129 Injured; Tsunami Warnings Issued

A powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck the Philippines, leaving at least 15 people dead and 129 injured, according to officials from the Philippine Office of Civil Defence. The Soccsksargen region, comprising four provinces and one city, bore the brunt of the disaster, reporting 12 fatalities and the majority of the injured.

In response to the seismic event, Secretary Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has ordered immediate coordination with local government units. The DSWD has millions of family food packs prepositioned nationwide and ready for immediate release to aid affected families. Quick Response Teams are on standby, monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities for resource augmentation.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos confirmed that emergency agencies, including the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, have been activated. Evacuation orders were issued for nine provinces in the Philippines, urging residents in coastal areas to move to higher ground or inland.

Beyond the Philippines, the earthquake's impact extended to neighboring countries. Indonesia issued evacuation orders for parts of northern Sulawesi, Gorontalo province, and the Sangihe Islands. Tsunami alerts were also issued by authorities in Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia, warning of hazardous waves. The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre predicted waves as high as 3 meters (9.8 feet) could hit the Philippines and up to 1 meter (3.3 ft) in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.

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DSWD is more than ready to provide immediate response by supporting the needs of the affected families in the entire Mindanao. In fact, we have directed all Field Offices to coordinate closely with the LGUs and deploy social workers in designated evacuation centres to work with the local social workers.