The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said 19 reported deaths are being verified following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on Monday morning, as government agencies continue rapid damage and needs assessment in affected areas.
OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said Undersecretary Harold Cabreros and teams from various government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), local disaster risk reduction and management offices (LDRRMOs), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and other responders, have been deployed to assess the situation and assist affected communities.
Castillo said 16 of the reported fatalities came from Region 12, or Soccsksargen, while three were from Davao Region. He stressed that the figures remain subject to verification and validation by the Management of the Dead and Missing Cluster.
“Again, this is for verification and validation,” Castillo said, noting that authorities are still determining whether some of the deaths were caused by falling debris or landslides.
The OCD also reported 134 injured persons and seven missing individuals. Castillo said the missing persons were initially reported in Davao Region, although authorities were still confirming the specific province.
Response efforts are currently focused on Soccsksargen, but the OCD said reports from Davao Region, Region 10, and the Bangsamoro region are also being monitored.
On affected communities, Castillo said around 10,000 families had been evacuated in Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat, while 700 other families were reported affected. Some residents are now staying in evacuation centers, although the numbers remain preliminary.
Search, rescue, and retrieval operations are ongoing, with the Bureau of Fire Protection leading operations alongside LDRRMOs, the AFP’s 525th Engineering Brigade, and other government agencies.
Castillo said the OCD has yet to obtain a complete picture of infrastructure damage, but several initial reports have already been received. He also cited continuing aftershocks as a major concern, with the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Phivolcs) recording more than 180 aftershocks by Monday afternoon.
Because of the aftershocks, Castillo said residents should not immediately return to buildings until safety officers, local engineering offices, the BFP, and other concerned agencies complete structural integrity assessments.