The ground was still shaking as rescue teams searched the rubble.
In the early hours of a Monday morning, the southern Philippines absorbed the force of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake — one of those geological reminders that the ground beneath human civilization is never entirely still. Centered offshore near Mindanao, the quake claimed at least three lives, injured five more, and sent waves rippling across the Pacific as far as Palau and Indonesia. What follows now is the long, uncertain work of rescue, recovery, and reckoning with what has been lost — while the earth continues, quietly, to tremble.
- A 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Mindanao at 7:37 a.m. local time, collapsing buildings, cutting power, and sending tsunami warnings across multiple nations within minutes.
- At least three people are confirmed dead and five injured, but rescue teams are still searching rubble in General Santos City for people believed to be trapped inside collapsed structures.
- Sixteen or more aftershocks — one reaching magnitude 6.7 — have continued to destabilize already-damaged buildings, forcing authorities to warn residents away from any structure showing signs of stress.
- Tsunami waves ranging from centimeters to 0.8 meters were recorded across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Palau, with warnings held in place for hours as ocean instruments continued to detect disturbances.
- President Marcos suspended classes across affected Mindanao areas, while social welfare agencies mobilized relief goods and evacuation centers as the full scale of the disaster remained unclear.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck offshore near Mindanao in the southern Philippines early Monday morning, shaking the region awake at 7:37 local time. At least three people were killed and five injured, while 37 buildings — mostly commercial structures in General Santos City, the port town nearest the epicenter — were damaged or destroyed. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors believed trapped inside collapsed buildings as authorities worked to verify the full casualty count.
The tremor's reach extended far beyond the Philippines. Tsunami waves were recorded in Palau, Indonesia, and across the Philippine archipelago, ranging from a few centimeters to 0.8 meters. A 1.5-foot wave was measured in Davao City, nearly 200 kilometers from the epicenter. Philippine volcanology officials kept tsunami warnings in force for hours, citing continued sea level disturbances detected by instruments even as the waves themselves remained relatively modest.
General Santos City absorbed the most visible damage. Social media footage showed collapsed storefronts and at least two destroyed locations of Jollibee, the nationally beloved fast food chain. Power was eventually restored after an initial outage, though internet connectivity remained patchy. Sixteen or more aftershocks followed the initial quake — one reaching magnitude 6.7 — keeping rescue teams and residents on edge and prompting warnings against re-entering any building showing signs of damage.
The national government moved quickly. President Ferdinand Marcos suspended classes across affected Mindanao areas, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development began staging relief goods and opening evacuation centers. Tsunami watches issued for Australia's Christmas Island and Northern Territory were lifted as the oceanic threat receded, but in the Philippines and Indonesia, the work of finding survivors and measuring the full cost of the disaster was only beginning — with the ground still shifting beneath those doing the searching.
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 in magnitude struck offshore in the southern Philippines early Monday morning, sending tremors across the region and triggering tsunami warnings that remained in effect hours after the initial shock. The quake, which hit at 7:37 local time near Mindanao, has killed at least three people and injured five others, according to police confirmation. Authorities estimate the shaking damaged 37 buildings, predominantly commercial structures in and around General Santos City, the port town closest to the epicenter.
The tsunami threat extended well beyond the Philippines. Waves were recorded across multiple countries in the region—in Palau, Indonesia, and the Philippines itself—ranging from just a few centimeters to as much as 0.8 meters in height. A tsunami measuring 1.5 feet was documented in Davao City, nearly 200 kilometers from where the earthquake originated. Winchelle Ian Sevilla, a science research specialist at the Philippine state volcanology agency, explained that authorities were holding the tsunami warning in place because instruments continued to detect wave activity and sea level disturbances. The waves themselves were modest in scale—measured in centimeters rather than meters—but the precaution remained warranted as long as the ocean remained unsettled.
General Santos City bore the brunt of the damage. Videos and images shared on social media showed collapsed storefronts and at least two locations of Jollibee, the beloved national fast food chain, destroyed by the tremor. Master Sergeant Robert Dagon, a police official in the city, reported that a number of buildings had come down, though he was uncertain of the exact count as rescue teams remained focused on ongoing operations. Agripino V Dacera Jr, the disaster management chief for General Santos, told the BBC that no deaths had been reported from the city itself at that moment, but rescuers were actively searching for people believed to be trapped inside a collapsed building. Power had been restored after an initial outage, though internet connectivity remained unreliable.
The earthquake did not stop after the initial shock. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded at least 16 aftershocks in the hours that followed, ranging from magnitude 1.3 to 6.7. Each tremor carried the potential to cause additional damage to already-weakened structures and to rattle a population already on edge. Authorities issued warnings for residents to avoid returning to their homes or other buildings that showed signs of damage, a precaution that underscored the ongoing danger.
The response from the national government was swift. President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the suspension of classes at all levels across the affected areas of Mindanao, prioritizing the safety of children. The Department of Social Welfare and Development began preparing relief goods and setting up evacuation centers. Civil defence and disaster management agencies coordinated their response efforts, though the full scope of the disaster was still being assessed as reports of casualties continued to arrive and be verified.
Tsunami warnings that had been issued for other parts of the Pacific were lifted as the threat diminished. Australia cancelled its tsunami watch, which had initially warned of potential danger to Christmas Island and the Northern Territory. New Zealand authorities assessed that the earthquake was unlikely to generate a tsunami threatening their shores. But in the Philippines and Indonesia, the work of accounting for damage and searching for survivors was just beginning, with the ground still shaking beneath rescue teams and residents alike.
Notable Quotes
We will not yet lift the tsunami warning as our instruments are still recording tsunami waves. There were also sea level disturbances that were recorded.— Winchelle Ian Sevilla, science research specialist at Philippine state volcanology agency
I am also ordering the suspension of classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice. The safety of our children comes first.— President Ferdinand Marcos
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the tsunami warning stay in place when the waves were only a few centimeters high?
Because the ocean was still moving. The instruments kept recording disturbances, which meant the threat hadn't fully passed. A few centimeters might not sound like much, but you don't lift a warning until you're certain the water has settled.
General Santos City seems to have taken the worst of it. What makes that place significant?
It's the country's tuna capital—a major port city built on fishing. It's also where Manny Pacquiao is from. But on Monday morning, it was just a place where buildings came down and people were trapped.
The aftershocks went up to 6.7 magnitude. Isn't that almost another major earthquake?
It is. A 6.7 is serious on its own. When you're already dealing with collapsed buildings and people searching through rubble, aftershocks that strong can cause new collapses or bring down structures that were already damaged.
Why suspend classes across all of Mindanao when the damage seemed concentrated in one city?
Because you don't know yet. The epicenter was offshore, but the shaking was felt 200 kilometers away. Schools across the region needed to close so families could account for each other and authorities could assess what actually happened everywhere.
The reports of deaths kept changing—one person, then three, then five being verified. Why the confusion?
Chaos. When a building collapses and rescue teams are still searching, you don't have a final count. You have reports coming in from different areas, some confirmed, some still being checked. The official number only solidifies once the search is complete.