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Five ships and 10 K9 teams have been deployed to Cebu to assist in search and rescue operations for victims still missing after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province on Sept. 30, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan said ships carrying doctors and medics have been dispatched to Cebu since the quake occurred.

‘We sent responders, five ships, and 10 K9 teams to assist in search operations for those who are missing. We also deployed desalinator machines to evacuation centers in Cebu,’ Gavan told reporters aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang on Thursday.

‘We also sent doctors, nurses, medics, and communication specialists to help local government units recover more quickly and provide assistance for ongoing activities,’ he added.

According to the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 72 people have died due to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

The agency also reported 294 injuries, although all figures remain subject to verification. No missing persons have been recorded.

The NDRRMC added that assessments of damaged infrastructure are ongoing as search and rescue operations continue.

As of 7 a.m. Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded 2,613 aftershocks.

At least 17 people were injured when a public utility jeepney plunged into a six-meter ravine in Calauag town, Quezon province, on Wednesday.

Police said the driver, identified only as ‘Luisito,’ 45, lost control of the steering wheel after the jeepney’s brakes failed while negotiating a descending and curved section of the road in Barangay Pinagsakayan at around 2 p.m.

The jeepney, carrying 16 passengers – three of them elderly – veered off the road and fell into the ravine.

The driver and all passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to different hospitals for treatment.

Authorities said an investigation into the accident is ongoing.

Authorities have ended search and rescue operations in northern Cebu after confirming that no residents remain missing following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City and nearby towns on Tuesday night.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) spokesperson Junie Castillo said Thursday that local governments reported no unaccounted residents during a morning briefing at the Incident Command Post.

‘As of today, there are no reported missing, even from the LGUs. The assumption is all are accounted for,’ Castillo said in a phone interview.

‘Some private rescue teams have already been told they may demobilize unless they want to continue helping with relief or debris clearing,’ he added.

PNP Public Information Office chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuano said search-and-retrieval operations were officially terminated on Wednesday night after authorities accounted for all missing persons.

He added that deployed officers’ concentration is now on ‘relief and rehabilitation operations.’

The OCD said the official death toll has risen to 72, up from 69 the previous night. At least 30 of the fatalities were in Bogo City, the hardest-hit area.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed the development in a press briefing in Quezon City on Thursday.

Aftershocks

Castillo said aftershocks remain a major concern, preventing many residents from returning indoors, even if their homes are found to be structurally safe.

‘Even if their houses were not damaged, people are still afraid to go back inside because of the frequent tremors,’ he said.

‘It is traumatic for survivors who already experienced the quake,’ he added.

Instead of staying in evacuation centers, thousands have sought refuge in open areas away from falling debris.

The OCD reported 4,000 families, or about 20,000 people, remain displaced as of Thursday morning.

Clearing operations continue

Castillo said that road-clearing efforts have made most major routes in northern Cebu passable, although some local roads and damaged structures will take more time to clear.

‘Vehicles can now reach Bogo from Cebu City. The priority now is debris clearing in critical facilities and relief for affected families,’ he said.

Government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Public Works and Highways, are coordinating with local governments for continued relief distribution and shelter support.

‘The focus has now shifted fully to relief, rehabilitation, and supporting displaced communities,’ Castillo said.

Senator Mark Villar has filed Senate Bill No. 1438, or the ‘Government Construction Project Transparency and Accountability Act of 2025,’ which seeks to mandate drone monitoring for all government construction projects before any payments are processed.

The measure applies to all national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations engaged in construction, including the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation and Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

‘Persistent challenges including project delays, quality issues, and financial irregularities in public works demand innovative solutions,’ Villar said. ‘This legislation harnesses modern technology to establish an unwavering standard of accountability for every peso of public funds invested in infrastructure.’

The proposal requires independent accredited third-party entities to conduct aerial documentation through unmanned aerial vehicles. It provides for high-resolution geotagged imagery, video footage and orthomosaic mapping of projects. The data will be uploaded to a centralized public transparency portal accessible to citizens.

Under the bill, payments cannot be processed without the required drone verification documentation. Contractors and government personnel who submit or approve falsified monitoring data face penalties under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

‘This initiative transforms how we monitor and manage public infrastructure projects,’ Villar said. ‘It empowers citizens with tangible evidence of project progress while ensuring that government expenditures correspond directly to actual, verified accomplishments.’

The bill also directs relevant agencies to set accreditation standards for monitoring entities within 60 days of enactment. The Department of Science and Technology and Department of Information and Communications Technology will provide technical support in drafting implementing rules and regulations.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on September 30 has displaced more than 170,000 people, leaving families in urgent need of food, water and shelter.

Authorities said over 50 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity as aftershocks continue to shake the region. Power and water services were disrupted, and many residents remain outdoors for safety.

Survivors urgently need drinking water, ready-to-eat food, tents, blankets, clothes, sleeping mats and hygiene kits.

Responding to appeals for help, the Inquirer Foundation extends its relief and fund drive to the families affected by the earthquake.

Cash donations may be deposited in The Inquirer Foundation Corp. Banco de Oro (BDO) Current Account No. 007960018860 or donate any amount to the Philippine Daily INQUIRER via Gcash Pay Bills and indicate that the payment is for Cebu donation.

Inquiries may be addressed and emailed to Inquirer Foundation office: [email protected]

Romeo Migabon survived ‘Yolanda’ in 2013 but may now have to deal yet again with losing his home, one that was built for the victims of the supertyphoon.

Migabon looked despondently at his house, or what was left of it, after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu province on Tuesday night.

But the Bogo City resident said he was still grateful to see all his family members merely sustaining injuries during the quake.

‘We can’t do anything about it; I’m just thankful we only got wounded. We can probably recover from this,’ said Migabon, one of the hundreds of villagers at Barangay Pulambato who were rendered homeless.

Their houses at Pulambato were part of the resettlement projects for Yolanda victims in the city.

Elsewhere in Bogo, responders as of this writing were trying to reach at least three bodies from the collapsed Condor Pension House in Barangay Gairan.

Erwin Castañeda of the local fire department identified the three victims as receptionists Mercedita Balleta and Gemma Gilig, and Gemma’s 4-year-old son.

‘We can see them from under the rubble, but they [are] covered by debris and we can’t get near,’ Castañeda told the Inquirer when contacted on the phone around 6 p.m.

Most of the confirmed quake fatalities in Cebu as of press time were in Bogo City (30), followed by the towns of San Remigio (22), Medellin (10), Tabogon (5), and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan, according to the Office of Civil Defense.

Many of the victims were crushed to death as they slept.

Top officials of the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) vowed not to tolerate corruption as they made a surprise visit to the construction sites of the school’s two multi-million-peso projects in Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur.

Dr. Joy C. Capistrano, ASSCAT president; along with Vice Presidents Dr. Carmelo S. Llanto and Dr. Ferdinand A. Dumalagan, visited the site of the P37 million College of Teachers Education (CTE) Building, whose Phase I was still undergoing construction; and the P18.45 million Graduate Studies Building to send the message that they won’t tolerate ghost projects or substandard work at the expense of public funds.

Accompanied by in-house engineers from the project management unit of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the school officials scrutinized the quality of materials, construction pace, and the project’s compliance with the timeline.

They said their presence was more than ceremonial as it was an assertion that they would not allow shortcuts, delays, or cover-up under their watch.

The CTE Building is set for completion in May 2026 and is expected to house modern classrooms, faculty rooms, and offices. On the other hand, the Graduate Studies Building will house upgraded spaces for advanced academic work and research.

School officials said the structures would serve as test cases for the present administration’s drive to impose strict accountability in infrastructure spending.

‘Taxpayers deserve full value for every peso spent and ghost projects have no place in the campus or the community,’ said Capistrano amidst the mounting concern over government-funded projects nationwide, where billions of taxpayers’ money were lost to unfinished structures or poorly built ones.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck a Northern Samar island town on Thursday evening, according to state seismologists.

The offshore earthquake occurred seven kilometers northeast of San Vicente municipality at 6:21 p.m., with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs said aftershocks are expected after this earthquake.

This temblor comes two days after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake which occurred in a nearby Bogo City in Cebu province.

At least 72 individuals reportedly died and 294 injured due to the temblor, which damaged several heritage churches, billions worth of roads and bridges, many residential houses and hundreds of classrooms, while causing widespread power outages in the province.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel on Thursday morning in northern Quezon due to rough sea conditions brought about by Tropical Storm Paolo.

The PCG station in Real town announced the temporary suspension of voyages for all vessels and watercraft bound for the Polillo group of islands and General Nakar town, citing the hoisting of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 and ‘the possible effects of the inclement weather.’

‘Further, all vessels are reminded to take precautionary measures and be extra vigilant in monitoring the movement of the typhoon if deemed to be affected by said weather disturbance,’ the PCG said in a public notice signed by Lt. Dawn Baterbonia, commander of PCG-Northern Quezon.

The PCG added that vessels ‘intending to take shelter shall be permitted, provided a written request is submitted and no passengers or cargo are on board.’

Voyages will only resume once weather and sea conditions improve, the PCG said.

The PCG Real station oversees the coastal towns of Infanta, General Nakar, and the Polillo group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, which include the municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos, Panukulan, Jomalig, and Patnanungan.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) 5 a.m. update, Paolo was located 705 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon.

Paolo was moving west-northwest at 20 km per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gusts of up to 80 kph, Pagasa said.

Manila Water is preparing to open the Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant in Mandaluyong, its 42nd facility in the East Zone concession area and one of its largest and most advanced to date.

The Aglipay STP is part of the Mandaluyong West-San Juan South and Quezon City South Sewerage System Project. It is designed to treat up to 60 million liters of wastewater per day from a 2,115-hectare catchment area covering Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City.

Once the 53-kilometer sewer network is completed, the facility will be expandable to 120 million liters per day to meet future demand.

‘The Aglipay STP is a landmark achievement for Manila Water. Its scale, technology, and reach reflect our deep commitment to building resilient and sustainable communities,’ Communications Affairs Group Director Jeric Sevilla said.

‘This facility is a testament to our long-term vision of protecting public health and safeguarding the environment through world-class wastewater management,’ Sevilla added.

With a project cost of 3.9 billion pesos, the Aglipay STP is undergoing testing and commissioning to ensure performance and compliance with environmental standards.

Once fully operational, it will serve more than 652,000 residents, improving water quality in nearby rivers, reducing pollution and enhancing public health in Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City.