MANILA, Philippines, June 8 — The death toll from the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck the Philippines has risen to 15, according to officials from the Philippine Office of Civil Defence.
Rodrigo Sosmena, director of the local Civil Defence Office, said 12 of the fatalities were reported in the Soccsksargen region, which includes South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City.
At least 129 people were injured in the region, he added.
According to the Philippine News Agency, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered immediate coordination with local government units and said more than 1.1 million family food packs are available in Mindanao for distribution to affected families and individuals.
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group reported that, as of June 2, approximately 4.7 million family food packs had been prepositioned nationwide and were available for immediate deployment during disasters and emergencies.
Gatchalian said the agency’s Quick Response Teams remain on standby and continue to coordinate with local government units regarding potential resource augmentation.
“DSWD is more than ready to provide immediate response by supporting the needs of the affected families across Mindanao. In fact, we have directed all field offices to coordinate closely with local government units and deploy social workers to designated evacuation centers to work alongside local social workers,” he said.
Gatchalian also instructed field offices to deploy mobile command centers, mobile kitchens, and other essential equipment and resources.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police provided updates during a press conference, emphasizing the agency’s continued readiness and coordination with other government bodies responding to the disaster.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday that emergency response agencies, including the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, had been activated.
Authorities ordered residents in nine provinces, including Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Tawi-Tawi, and Sulu, to evacuate immediately to higher ground or move farther inland due to tsunami concerns.
Evacuation orders were also issued in parts of Indonesia, including northern Sulawesi, northern Gorontalo province, and the Sangihe Islands, where residents were urged to seek higher ground.
Officials in Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia issued tsunami advisories warning of hazardous waves and urging residents in coastal communities to move to safer locations.
The U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center earlier warned that tsunami waves as high as 3 meters (9.8 feet) could strike parts of the Philippines, while waves of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) were possible in areas of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage as rescue and relief operations remain underway.
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