The death toll from Tuesday’s devastating earthquake in the central Philippines has risen to 72, with officials confirming that the search for missing persons has ended as rescuers now shift focus to treating the injured and supporting the displaced.
The 6.9-magnitude quake struck Cebu province, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Overnight Wednesday, three bodies were recovered from the rubble of a collapsed hotel in Bogo City, near the quake’s epicentre.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesman, Junie Castillo, confirmed on Thursday that there were no more missing persons. “We have zero missing, so the assumption is all are accounted for,” he said, adding that some rescue units have begun demobilising.
Government figures show that 294 people sustained injuries while nearly 20,000 residents were forced to flee their homes. At least 600 houses were destroyed across northern Cebu, leaving hundreds of families to spend nights on the streets as aftershocks continue to rattle the area.
“One of the challenges is the frequency of aftershocks, which makes residents reluctant to return to their homes, even those not structurally compromised,” Castillo explained.
Cebu Governor, Pamela Baricuatro, has appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance, highlighting the pressing need for safe drinking water, food, clothing, temporary shelter, and volunteers to distribute relief supplies.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Cebu on Thursday with senior aides to assess the damage. He also visited a government housing project in Bogo, initially built for survivors of the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan, where eight residents lost their lives in collapsed homes during the quake.
Many survivors have sought refuge in makeshift shelters, including a small village chapel in Bogo housing 18-year-old Diane Madrigal and 14 neighbours. “The entire wall of my house fell, so I really don’t know how and when we can go back again,” Madrigal said.
Hospitals in the province have also been severely affected, with dozens of patients forced to receive care in tents outside the damaged Cebu provincial hospital. “I’d rather stay here under this tent. At least I can be treated,” said 22-year-old Kyle Malait, awaiting treatment for a dislocated arm.
According to the regional civil defence office, more than 110,000 people across 42 communities will require long-term support to rebuild homes and restore livelihoods.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to frequent seismic activity. While many tremors go unnoticed, destructive earthquakes strike unpredictably, underscoring the nation’s persistent vulnerability to natural disasters.
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