THE earth beneath northern Cebu is still restless — scientists say the aftershocks could last until December. But for those leading the recovery, the real challenge will last far longer: rebuilding safer communities and restoring the trust of people who now live with the fear that the ground beneath them might shift again.
The magnitude 6.9 quake, centered 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, left a visible rupture in the Bogo Bay Fault’s onland extension. While the surface scars on Cebu’s porous limestone terrain may eventually close with continued rainfall, the deeper wounds — on the land and its people — will take years to heal. A month after the devastation, the affected towns are choosing to move forward, one determined step at a time.
Bogo’s three-year vision
In Bogo City, the epicenter’s nearest major urban hub, Mayor Maria Cielo “Mayel” Martinez has set an ambitious three-year target for recovery. “Hopefully in two, three years time, they will be settled,” she said, acknowledging the massive task ahead. “I may not secure everything, but at least their situation will not be this difficult.”
Bogo City is already in its early recovery phase. The immediate, chaotic aftermath — residents on the streets begging for food and water — is fading. Roads have been repaired, stores are reopening, and a major mall has resumed operations from a temporary tent.
Martinez is now looking at the city’s 2026 budget, intending to increase the proposed P900 million to P1.1 billion to incorporate the massive recovery efforts, all while coordinating with the Office of the Civil Defense to create a comprehensive post-disaster plan.
The quake has forced Bogo City to fundamentally rethink its future. Before the disaster, the city planned to open its doors to tall buildings. Now, that vision is a blur. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recommended soil testing for all new construction, even buildings as short as two stories.
A Test of Governance
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol points out that the disaster was as much a failure of compliance as a natural calamity. The magnitude 6.9 quake registered an Intensity 7 in Bogo and nearby towns. Bacolcol stresses that if structures follow the minimum standards of the National Building Code (NBC), they should withstand an Intensity 8 shaking.
“Even if the shaking is stronger — Intensity 8 — a compliant building should not collapse. When buildings collapse during intensity 7, it’s not the earthquake itself that kills people — it’s the structural failure,” said Bacolcol.
His core recommendation is for local government units (LGUs) to strengthen their engineering competency to confidently enforce the NBC and call out non-compliance.
Urban planners Nigel Paul Villarete and Joseph Michael Espina concur, viewing the event as a test of science, data, and governance. They cite design flaws, poor construction, and a lack of seismic data as key reasons for the collapses. Villarete emphasized that seismic information must be integrated into the LGUs’ permitting system for a “more comprehensive, relevant, and accurate local planning.” The lesson is clear: preparedness is both technical and administrative.
Medellin’s Uphill Battle
Miles from the epicenter, the quiet coastal town of Medellin still trembles. Mayor Edwin Salimbangon’s town bore the force of the rupture, suffering shattered classrooms, cracked roads, and disrupted trade.
Weeks after the quake, the long-term recovery is an uphill climb. The severe damage to most school buildings means the community has lost its default evacuation centers for potential typhoons. With many families still in temporary shelters, Salimbangon has made a heartfelt appeal: asking residents with sturdier homes to open their doors to neighbors if a typhoon strikes, and urging those in makeshift tents to return to their homes if they are still safe.
While awaiting official assessments of structural damage, the municipal government is prioritizing livelihood and agricultural assistance, using P20 to P30 million in cash aid to help residents regain their income sources. Salimbangon’s determination is visible in his push to not only rebuild the damaged Municipal Government Center but also expand the port — a vital trade link that sustained only minor damage — even as he acknowledges previous repairs on just one side cost over P100 million.
Road to Recovery
Across northern Cebu, the focus is on reconnecting and securing critical infrastructure. In Tabogon and Borbon, a temporary 1.5-kilometer diversion road is under construction to bypass the damaged Nipa Bridge, ensuring that the flow of food, medicine, and trade remains uninterrupted. This joint effort, initiated by the local governments, highlights the community’s resourcefulness.
Tabogon Mayor Francis Salimbangon, in a report said that the initiative was a collaborative effort with Barangay officials from Muabog and Tagnucan, Borbon.
The diversion road, once fully operational, is expected to offer a safer, faster, and more reliable route between the two municipalities until major rehabilitation works on Nipa Bridge are completed.
Fourth District Rep. Sun Shimura stressed that the rehabilitation is a multi-year program requiring careful prioritization, beginning with schools to serve as safe zones against future disasters like typhoons.
Shimura has already requested significant funding: P150 million for Bogo City Hall; P100 million for the municipal halls of Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, and Tabogon; and P50 million for Tabuelan. The Department of Public Works and Highways is already working to fix key road links between San Remigio and Tabuelan.
Bogo City — like many northern Cebu towns — was not built overnight. And its recovery will not happen overnight either.
The road to rebuilding is long, but for those who survived the quake, the hope is clear: that when the ground finally stops moving, their communities will stand stronger than before. / WITH REPORTS FROM DPC, EHP