South Cotabato to send responders, relief goods for Cebu quake victims

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 1 Oct) — The provincial government of South Cotabato is sending rescue and medical teams and relief goods for victims of the deadly magnitude 6.9 earthquake that jolted Cebu province Tuesday evening.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. (wearing blue shirt) at the General Santos City airport on Wednesday (1 October 2025) preparing to leave for Cebu province to bring relief goods and medical aid to victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake. Photo courtesy of South Cotabato Public Information Office

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo ordered the deployment of the rescue and medical teams, and the relief assistance as part of the province’s solidarity and humanitarian response to the tragedy.

“Early in the morning, relief goods and hygiene kits from the people of South Cotabato will be heading to Cebu,” Tamayo said in a statement.

He said the relief assistance and the rescue and medical teams from the province will be under the disposal of Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro or her designated incident command center as they know the situation on the ground.

Rolly Doane Aquino, South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head, said they immediately prepared the relief goods that will be transported to Cebu hopefully within the day.

He said the rescue and medical responders would be sent to the quake-hit province through airplane.

Aquino said his office is coordinating with the Cebu provincial government and their PDRRMO counterparts on where to deploy the responders and relief assistance from South Cotabato.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck off northern Cebu on Tuesday night killed at least 26 people and injured 147 others, according to the 8 a.m. situational report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The quake also damaged heritage churches and other structures, and knocked out power in parts of central Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially measured the quake at magnitude 6.7 before upgrading it to 6.9. It occurred at 9:59 p.m., with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey initially recorded a magnitude 7.0 but revised it to 6.9.

Authorities warned of more fatalities due to the significant damage suffered in northern Cebu. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)