Survivors Rebuild After Devastating Earthquake in the Philippines

Fri Oct 03 2025 19:04:21 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A deadly magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck Cebu, leaving many Filipinos in temporary shelters. The disaster has caused significant destruction and loss of life, exacerbating existing challenges during a severe typhoon season.

In the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu, Philippines, on September 30, survivors like Arguel Estalicas are grappling with physical and emotional distress as they navigate life in ghost towns. The quake has resulted in at least 68 fatalities, multiple injuries, and left approximately 80,000 people displaced. With ongoing response efforts hampered by prior typhoons, residents call for essential supplies, demonstrating resilience through community spirit. Relief operations, aided by the military, aim to restore order and provide necessary aid amidst ongoing concerns about food and water security.

Two days after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck her hometown in the central Philippines, Arguel Estalicas says she still feels dizzy every time she stands up.

That spinning feeling, coupled with a string of aftershocks, has left the 35-year-old tourism officer and many other survivors too scared to return to their homes, forcing them to live in tents temporarily.

The earthquake shook the northern coast of Cebu, one of the country's most populous islands, on the night of September 30, jolting many out of their sleep.

It killed at least 68 people and wounded more than 500 others, as homes, buildings, and churches collapsed and roads cracked.

I still couldn't process what has happened to us, Ms. Estalicas tells a news outlet. I am overwhelmed with the things we experienced in the last two days.

The 35-year-old lives in Medellin town, near the quake's epicenter. Disaster response officials say the earthquake displaced nearly 80,000 people across Cebu and nearby provinces. Cebu is a major trading and transportation hub in the central Philippines.

She said she got out of bed screaming when the earthquake struck and ran outdoors with her family.

They slept under the open sky, but when a light drizzle fell, Ms. Estalicas and her family wrapped themselves up in plastic bags because they did not have raincoats.

Photos on social media showed them slouched on plastic chairs, swathed in plastic bags fogged up by their breath.

About 10 km away, in San Remigio municipality, Lourenze Pareja also spent the night outdoors on the night of the earthquake.

There, under the night sky, we sat freely - in great faith - with our little lights, holding on to what resources we had, Mr. Pareja wrote on Facebook. Pray for us, everyone.

When the ground started shaking, Mr. Pareja said he grabbed his phone and ran to the street to livestream the unfolding chaos - neighbors in pajamas leaving their homes, with their children and pets in tow.

Lord, the 25-year-old community journalist said in the livestream, calling out to God, seemingly unable to say much else.

This week's earthquake comes in the middle of a fierce typhoon season. Two back-to-back storms inundated large swathes of the country a week before.

Widespread floods from those storms and earlier monsoon rains have stirred public anger and triggered street protests.

Cebu is especially prone to typhoons, lying on the general path of storms that form over the Pacific.

Despite their present challenges, Cebu locals like Ms. Estalicas and Mr. Pareja are hopeful that they could survive the earthquake, as they did after Haiyan and previous calamities.