aftershocks

THE PROVINCIAL government of Sarangani recorded 33 deaths, along with 251 injured individuals, after a Magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the province on June 8, according to the PDRRMC consolidated report posted on its Facebook page on Saturday, June 14.

The 24 confirmed deaths were due to landslides and covered by fallen debris in Glan municipality: three are from Tango; E. Alegado (2); Tapon (1); New Aklan (3); Pangyan (2); Kapatan (1); Calpidong (2); Burias (1); Poblacion (5); Calabanit (2); and Rio del Pilar (2).

Meanwhile, the other nine are in Tuyan (3); Poblacion (1); Lun Padidu (2); Sapu Masla (2); and Daan Suyan (1) due to drowning; struck by rolling heavy boulders; covered by fallen debris; and landslide.

The province also reported 251 injured and 15 still missing.

Affected families climbed to 57,843, while 428 families are in the evacuation centers.

The earthquake left 17,854 partially damaged homes, and 5,565 were totally damaged.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sarangani has implemented a 60-day price freeze on basic necessities following the declaration of a State of Calamity in the province.

There will be no increase in the prices of covered basic goods across the province, effective June 10 to August 9, 2026.

DTI directed all covered establishments within Sarangani province to observe the price freeze.

Any act of overpricing, hoarding, profiteering, or refusal to sell may be punishable by imprisonment of up to 15 years and/ or fine of P5,000-P2 million, under the Price Act.

Governor Rogelio D. Pacquiao announced on Thursday that the emergency protocols, safety sweeps, work adjustments, and face-to-face class suspensions established under Executive Order No. 33, series of 2026, are extended from June 11 to 17.

“This extension is in view of the provincial declaration of a state of calamity and the ongoing disaster response operations,” Pacquiao said, noting the provincial government continues to monitor the seismic situation in real-time.

THE PROVINCIAL government of Davao Oriental lifted on Monday, Oct. 20, the suspension of face to face classes in all levels.

Provincial governor Nelson Dayanghirang signed the Executive Order No. 76 Series of 2025 lifting the suspension.

The executive order mandated a mandatory structural safety certification and a blended learning for unsafe school buildings.

To note, the suspension of F2F classes was due to the doublet earthquake with magnitudes 7.4 and 6.9 on Oct. 10.

“The recent earthquake has been a deeply unsettling experience for the entire Province of Davao Oriental, causing understandable fear and disruption to the lives of our students, families, and dedicated educators,” the executive order reads.

However, it stressed that to collectively forward to recovery and healing, “resumption of learning in familiar school environments is necessary for normalcy, stability and hope.”

“We must ensure that this return is executed with the utmost caution, founded with utmost assurance that the physical structures housing our students are completely sound and secure,” the executive order stated.

The return to face-to-face classes is strictly conditioned upon a clear, non-negotiable safety requirement where each school is required to undergo mandatory inspection.

In a mandatory inspection, all operational school buildings and essential campus facilities must undergo a meticulous structural assessment.

The EO mandates that all schools must submit certificates to the local government or the Department of Education within three working days before reopening.

DepEd Davao region reported that a total of 114,820 learners across the region were affected by the twin earthquakes where Davao Oriental recorded around 16,000.

Death toll in Sarangani 7.8 magnitude quake climbs to 33; price freeze enforced on basic goods

Davao Oriental lifts suspension of F2F classes