NO COMMUNITIES have been isolated by the powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, 2026, despite damage to roads, bridges, schools and thousands of homes, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, OCD Deputy Administrator for Administration Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said that while four national road sections—one in Davao Occidental and three in South Cotabato, remain closed to traffic, alternative routes have allowed relief operations and emergency response efforts to continue uninterrupted.
“Walang isolated na lugar. ‘Yung apat na road sections na nasira may alternative route naman,” Alejandro said.
He said the DPWH has deployed 881 pieces of equipment for road-clearing activities, while initial estimates place damage to national highways at P232 million.
Alejandro said General Santos International Airport remains non-operational and is currently limited to military flights.
Authorities hope to restore commercial operations before June 12.
The OCD officials said in order to sustain relief efforts, responders have established Davao City as a logistics hub, with helicopters transporting personnel and supplies to General Santos and nearby affected areas.
The earthquake has left 37 people dead, 488 injured and four missing, with most casualties attributed to landslides and falling debris.
Authorities have recorded six landslide incidents, the majority of which occurred in Region 12.
The Department of Education has suspended classes in affected areas as safety inspections continue on damaged school buildings.
A total of 8,208 classes have been suspended, while initial assessments showed damage to 1,023 school facilities in Region 12 and 192 in Region 11.
Alejandro said classes in Regions 11, 12 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are unlikely to resume until next week as engineers inspect school structures.
“We will not allow schools to resume classes until these buildings and facilities have been properly audited,” he said.
Officials estimate it may take three to four days before normal school operations can gradually resume in many affected areas.
Despite the strong quake occurring on the opening day of classes, Alejandro noted that no student fatalities were reported, crediting regular earthquake drills and preparedness programs.
Government assessments, according to Alejandro, have identified around 2,505 damaged houses, including 460 totally destroyed and 2,045 partially damaged.
Alejandro said emergency responders are focusing on search-and-rescue operations, retrieval efforts for reported missing persons, debris clearing and addressing the shelter needs of affected families.
He said the government is preparing housing repair kits, construction materials and temporary shelter assistance for displaced residents.
“May aftershoks pa na nagaganap ‘yung iba ayaw pa bumalik sa bahay nila kasi may aftershocks pa,” said Alejandro.
In Sultan Kudarat alone, he said around 15,000 families have yet to return to their residences due to fears of additional seismic activity.
Despite the scale of the disaster, the OCD said the national government has sufficient resources to sustain response operations.
“Pero sa ngayon ang ginagamit ay ang available resources ng national government ‘yung mga relief goods, P1 million worth of family food packs are available from DSWD, ‘yung ating mga rescue teams ay mobilized we have enough reserves,” said Alejandro.
“Siguro ‘yung sa rehabilitation ‘yung early recovery okay pa baka doon po kasi yun na po ‘yung housing, sa relocation jan na magiging complicated,” he added.
More than 3,600 personnel from various agencies have already been deployed, with an additional 2,300 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine Coast Guard available for mobilization.
Alejandro said the government has also received expressions of support from foreign partners, although authorities have not yet requested international assistance.
Alejandro said the Philippines is coordinating with several countries to ensure assistance can be mobilized quickly if needed, particularly for long-term recovery and rehabilitation efforts. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)