THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called for collective prayer and penance Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, as the country reels from a series of natural disasters that have killed several people and displaced thousands across multiple regions.
CBCP President Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David urged the faithful to wear white every Sunday through November and display white ribbons in homes and churches as symbols of renewal following recent earthquakes in Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur, Cebu and La Union, along with increased volcanic activity at Bulusan.
“For the past few days now, we have been experiencing terrible calamities — one after another! Let us beg the Lord’s mercy on our people,” David said in Circular 25-14.
The cardinal asked Filipinos to pray daily until the Solemnity of Christ the King in November, calling the white garments “a symbol of the purity we seek for our land and our hearts.”
Recent disasters
The appeal came after five significant seismic events struck the Philippines in two weeks, causing widespread destruction and casualties.
* Northern Cebu earthquake. A magnitude 6.9 quake on Tuesday night, Sept. 30 killed at least 74 people in what authorities called the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Cebu. The shallow quake destroyed at least 5,000 homes, damaged 80,000 others and forced 23,000 residents to evacuate. Bogo City and surrounding municipalities in northern Cebu bore the brunt of the damage, with hundreds of sinkholes discovered and historical churches damaged.
* Davao Oriental twin quakes. Twin earthquakes measuring 7.4 and 6.8 struck off Davao Oriental’s coast Friday, killing eight people and injuring nearly 400. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 491,258 individuals across 303 barangays were affected, with infrastructure damage exceeding P100 million.
Three miners died in Davao de Oro when falling rocks struck them during the 7.4-magnitude tremor. The Manay District Hospital, located near the epicenter, was declared unsafe due to structural damage.
Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said tent cities would be established in Tarragona and Manay towns to shelter 8,440 displaced residents currently in 14 evacuation centers.
* Surigao del Sur tremor. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, at 10:32 p.m. Saturday, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Intensity IV was felt in Davao City and nearby towns, with aftershocks expected.
* La Union quake. A magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit La Union on Oct. 9, with its epicenter two kilometers north-northeast of Pugo town. While Baguio City experienced Intensity V shaking, no casualties or significant damage were reported.
School damage
The Department of Education reported P2.1 billion in damage to school infrastructure in Davao Oriental alone, with 89,691 students and 8,324 teachers affected across nine regions. The agency said 137 students and 49 staff members suffered injuries.
Government assistance to earthquake victims has reached P26.5 million, according to the NDRRMC. The disaster bureau said 2,155 houses were totally or partially destroyed in the Davao Oriental quakes alone.
Volcanic unrest
Adding to concerns, Phivolcs recorded 72 volcanic earthquakes at Mt. Bulusan, a volcano in Sorsogon, within 24 hours ending Oct. 11. The volcano-tectonic earthquakes, occurring less than 10 kilometers beneath the northern sector, prompted authorities to maintain Alert Level 1.
Phivolcs warned of possible steam-driven eruptions that could occur suddenly. The agency prohibited entry into the four-kilometer permanent danger zone and urged vigilance in the two-kilometer extended danger zone on the volcano’s southeast sector.
Sulfur dioxide emissions averaged 31 tonnes per day as of Oct. 9, below the 200-tonne baseline, indicating shallow hydrothermal processes beneath the volcano.
Call for spiritual response
David’s circular emphasized wearing white as a sign of hope and healing, asking Catholics to intensify prayers for the nation’s renewal.
“May this season of prayer and repentance lead us to hope, healing and the restoration of our common life in truth and justice,” he said. / PNA, TPM, JJL