A combined total of 569 aftershocks have so far been recorded after the magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 “doublet earthquake” hit Davao Oriental, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). The twin quakes have claimed two lives, as confirmed by Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at 9:43 a.m., followed by a magnitude 5.3 tremor at 1:48 p.m. and another 6.8 quake at 7:12 p.m., all centered in the first-class municipality of Manay.
PHIVOLCS initially recorded the first quake at magnitude 7.6 but later downgraded it to 7.4. The quake struck at a depth of 23 kilometers. A tsunami warning was issued shortly after but was later lifted.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an immediate government response to the disaster. He directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), and other concerned agencies to carry out evacuation, search and rescue, and relief operations in the affected areas.
DSWD Field Office XI has pre-positioned 103,614 Family Food Packs (FFPs), 5,000 boxes of ready-to-eat food, and 30,019 non-food items (NFIs) for displaced residents.
The OCD Region XI and Philippine Air Force (PAF) conducted aerial inspections and rapid assessments following the quakes. Meanwhile, the Davao Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC XI) has been placed on red alert to coordinate the region’s emergency response and recovery efforts.
Other agencies, including the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), have also been deployed to Butuan City to assess structural damage and respond to a reported chemical spill at San Pedro College in Davao.
