MANDAUE City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano personally inspected the Mandaue City Public Market in the early hours of Wednesday, October 1, 2025, after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook Cebu late Tuesday night, September 30.
The mayor confirmed that while most government buildings in the city sustained no major damage, the public market was the only structure that suffered significant impact.
According to Ouano, the damage was not extensive but a section of the market’s canopy collapsed.
He stressed that the foundation and the main structure of the market remained intact, with the exception of the affected canopy area.
“So far in the whole city of Mandaue, out of all our government buildings, it is really just the market that was heavily affected and this side of the canopy is the only portion that collapsed,” the mayor said.
The City Government does not currently have the equipment necessary to remove the damaged canopy.
As a result, Ouano immediately reached out to the City District Engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to request assistance and proper equipment to clear the area.
“Actually, when I visited around 12:30 a.m., we could not fully see the extent of the damage. I came back together with the Office of the Building Official (OBO), district engineering, and MCDRRMO to assess the situation more thoroughly this morning,” he added.
Safe, No casualties
Despite the collapse, Ouano assured that the entire market remains safe and only the canopy area requires clearing.
To ensure continuity of operations, the vendors temporarily relocated outside the market.
Once engineers complete their reassessment and confirm the structural integrity, vendors will be allowed to return to their original spaces.
“The most important thing right now is the safety of our vendors. For the meantime, they will have to stay outside until the OBO engineering team returns to conduct another inspection within the day,” Ouano said.
The mayor expressed relief that no casualties or serious injuries were reported, unlike in the 2013 earthquake that struck Bohol and Cebu.
During that 7.2-magnitude quake, the old Mandaue public market located behind the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex was severely damaged, resulting in the death of a fish vendor who was struck by falling debris.
Vendors at that time were forced to relocate to makeshift stalls in open areas after the market was declared unsafe.
The new Mandaue Public Market was only completed in August 2019, six years after the 2013 tragedy.
Vendors' experience
Some vendors recalled the similarities between this week’s tremor and their experiences 12 years ago.
Lito Noynay, who, together with his wife Pili, used to sell fish at the old market, shared that the situation feels like history repeating itself.
“We also had a stall back then during the 2013 earthquake. We stayed outside for years after that incident because the old market was badly damaged,” he said.
Seafood vendor Virginia Caritero admitted that the tremor left her shaken.
“It feels like our experience in 2013 is happening again. I almost had a heart attack because it was so frightening. Now we are selling outside the market again, just like before. At least we can still sell, but it is very hot when the sun is out and when it rains, it’s difficult too,” she said.
Caritero, however, expressed relief that unlike in 2013, there were no fatalities this time.
“Back then there was a death, here it is only the canopy that fell. Mayor assured us that we can return soon once it is safe,” she added.
Assistance for northern Cebu
Meanwhile, the City Government also mobilized help to northern Cebu, which was among the hardest-hit areas during Tuesday’s quake.
The Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO) deployed a team early Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. to assist affected residents.
The team also brought water filtration equipment to address the disrupted water supply in those communities.
“I did not deploy them immediately last night because we needed to secure Mandaue City first. But since our city sustained only minor or superficial damage, I decided to send them early this morning to help our brothers and sisters in northern Cebu,” Ouano said.
The mayor commended the quick response of local agencies, including the MCDRRMO, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Office of the Building Official, who were immediately mobilized after the earthquake.
“We cannot predict disasters, but what we can do is prepare and always be alert. We are grateful to God because we were spared from major destruction, and damages in Mandaue were only minor,” Ouano added.
With inspections ongoing and assistance extended to neighboring areas, Ouano assured the public that the City Government is prioritizing both safety and continuity of livelihood for market vendors.
He said the clearing of the canopy and reassessment of the structure will be completed soon to allow affected vendors to return to their stalls. (ABC)