Philippines President promises tents, aid for earthquake survivors as death toll reaches 72 in Cebu Province

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines visited the site of a deadly earthquake on Thursday, October 9, that killed dozens of people this week, promising urgent assistance while acknowledging difficulties delivering food, water and electricity to displaced residents.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake, which struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, killed at least 72 people and injured nearly 300 others, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Thursday.

Nearly half of the fatalities were recorded in Bogo City, located at the northern tip of Cebu Province, where Marcos traveled Thursday with other officials. More than 170,000 people were displaced by the earthquake, which damaged at least 87 buildings, roads and bridges and nearly 600 homes.


Also read: Philippines Earthquake Today: 7.6 magnitude quake hits southern coast; causes damage, rings tsunami alert

Search and rescue operations continue for missing persons

Officials expressed optimism that most of the missing had been accounted for, even as rescue teams continued searching damaged areas, Junie Castillo, a spokesman for the office of civil defense, said Thursday.

Damage to the area's infrastructure presented considerable challenges for survivors, Marcos said. Many buildings, including a hospital, sustained severe damage, and few places were available for displaced people to take shelter.

"That is why we are having a slightly difficult time," Marcos told residents during his tour, according to transcripts provided by his office. "We do not have a place to put our displaced families."

As a temporary measure, the government would rush tents to the area, similar to ones used during the Covid-19 pandemic, Marcos said.

"And we will then put appropriate facilities in the tent city," he said. "We will make sure there is food supply, water supply, electricity and, if needed, generator sets. Whatever you need, we will make sure to provide."

Power would be restored to the city by the end of Thursday, Marcos said. Patients evacuated from the hospital would soon be returned indoors after structural engineers gave the all clear.

Philippines location in Pacific Ring of Fire

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in Southeast Asia. It sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are common. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the earthquake Tuesday was triggered by an offshore fault that had not moved for the past four centuries. It was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines since 2013.

Also read: Philippine President Marcos Jr orders coastal evacuations after 7.6-magnitude earthquake, tsunami warning

Many of those affected by the earthquake had moved to the area after Super Typhoon Haiyan battered the Philippines in 2013, killing more than 6,000 people. After losing everything to Haiyan, the most powerful typhoon to hit land in a century, some settled in Bogo City in a special village built by a charity to withstand ferocious winds. Much of it did not withstand the earthquake.

President addresses relief fund concerns

Marcos attempted to assure villagers and others affected by the earthquake that his government, which has faced accusations of misappropriating relief funds, would not leave them to fend for themselves.

"We will continue to coordinate with the leaders, the local leadership, to make sure that the rehabilitation will be smooth and all the support is received," he said.