THE United States government has expressed solidarity with communities devastated by the recent twin earthquakes in Mindanao, announcing the delivery of emergency aid to support Philippine-led relief operations.
“My heart goes out to all those affected by the Mindanao earthquake and recent natural disasters,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a statement. “The U.S. has provided 137,000+ family food packs and 500 emergency shelter kits as we coordinate with [DSWD] to assess additional needs in Davao Oriental,” the statement added.
Coordinated response and assessment efforts
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and other Philippine disaster management agencies continue to conduct ground assessments and deploy first responders to the hardest-hit areas, particularly in Manay, the coastal municipality near the epicenter of the 7.4-magnitude quake that struck on October 10, 2025. Two areas in the province remain under a state of calamity, with reports of infrastructure damage, power outages, and disrupted communication lines across several towns.
OCD Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang earlier confirmed that hundreds of houses sustained partial to major damage in Manay, Tarragona, and nearby municipalities. Search-and-rescue operations and relief distribution remain ongoing as access to remote villages improves.
Embassy operations and citizen advisories
The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines said its Customer Service Center in Davao, which handles general inquiries related to American Citizens Services (ACS) and visa concerns, is temporarily offline due to disrupted communication networks in the region.
However, the ACS Section in Manila and the U.S. The Consular Agency in Cebu remains fully operational, ensuring that U.S. citizens in affected areas can still access emergency consular assistance through the Embassy’s main hotlines and email channels.
The Embassy added that it is closely coordinating with the Philippine government, particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), to monitor the situation and identify areas that may require additional support.
Earthquake overview and humanitarian situation
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake, followed by a 6.8-magnitude tremor, struck off the coast of Manay, Davao Oriental, along the Philippine Trench, a deep-sea subduction zone where the Philippine Sea Plate sinks beneath the eastern edge of Mindanao.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially issued a tsunami warning, later lifted after only minor sea level disturbances were observed. Strong shaking was felt across the Davao Region, parts of Caraga, and as far as General Santos City and some Visayas regions.
Local governments in the affected areas have since activated evacuation centers and distributed relief goods. The DSWD reported that it has dispatched hundreds of family food packs and ready-to-eat meals, with additional shipments of water, blankets, and hygiene kits en route to remote coastal communities.
Continued relief operations and recovery outlook
Provincial authorities in Davao Oriental said clearing operations and structural inspections are underway, with priority given to restoring power, communication lines, and transportation access. Emergency responders are also monitoring for possible aftershocks and secondary hazards such as landslides and ground liquefaction.
As of this writing, several humanitarian organizations, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have expressed readiness to extend further technical and logistical support to bolster local recovery efforts.
“Together with our Filipino partners, we stand with Mindanao as it recovers from this disaster,” Ambassador Carlson said. DEF