The earthquake and its immediate aftermath

The US Geological Survey registered the quake at 07:37 local time on June 8, centred about 24 kilometres southwest of Burias island. Phivolcs placed the epicentre 32 kilometres west of Maasim in Sarangani province. Tremors were felt as far as 420 kilometres away in Manado, Indonesia, and within a dozen Philippine provinces. Aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.7 rippled through the area; Phivolcs recorded more than 1,050 within the first day.

Tsunami warnings and coastal impact

The temblor triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific, with waves recorded as far as Japan's southern coast. In the Philippines, highest wave heights reached 1.48 metres above sea level in Kiamba. The Philippine seismology agency maintained its warning for nearly eight hours before cancelling it. Damage from the tsunami itself was limited: six makeshift houses on stilts in a coastal village were swept away, and no large-scale flooding was reported.

“There are still aftershocks, so rescuers are proceeding with great caution. This is a challenge.”

Rescue, casualties and displacement

As of Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed 37 fatalities, with four people still unaccounted for and over 470 injured. Most deaths were attributed to falling debris and a landslide in Sarangani province that buried 13 people in the town of Glan. Nearly 41,000 residents fled their homes, with more than 31,000 sheltering in government-run evacuation centres, while others stayed with relatives. The airport in General Santos, a city of over half a million, was closed to all but humanitarian flights, forcing the cancellation of 63 domestic services.

“I thought it was the end. I just started praying. It shook so violently I could hardly move.”

Damage to infrastructure and schools

Initial assessments counted at least nine collapsed bridges, 20 damaged roads, and over 2,500 houses affected, 460 of them totally destroyed. More than 100 government buildings were also damaged. In Davao del Sur, a school building collapsed during the morning flag ceremony; no one was injured because students were gathered outdoors. Across the affected provinces, around 6,000 public school buildings awaited safety checks before classes could resume. Many of the injured were students who had returned for the first day of the new school year after a two-month summer break.

Government response

Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said that state coffers held sufficient emergency funds for rescue and recovery.

“The funds available are sufficient for rescue and recovery operations, with the goal of minimizing the impact of the disaster.”

The Office of Civil Defence dispatched teams to inspect pancaked buildings, but constant aftershocks slowed progress. Rodrigo Sosmena, the region's civil protection chief, stressed that rescue workers were moving with extreme care. Officials from Soccsksargen to Davao Occidental coordinated the provision of shelter, food, and medical care as the scale of displacement became clear.