A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Maasim, Sarangani on June 8 has inflicted an estimated PHP 1 billion in structural damage across the region, according to the Philippines' Office of Civil Defence (OCD). The toll on housing has been severe, with approximately 54,000 residences affected—comprising 44,100 partially destroyed and 9,900 completely destroyed structures.
The confirmed death count from the disaster has reached 61 as authorities continue validating casualty figures. Region 11 (Davao) accounts for seven confirmed deaths, while Region 12 (Soccsksargen) reports 54. Additionally, 1,403 people have sustained injuries and 40 remain unaccounted for, OCD public information officer Diego Mariano disclosed.
Injuries and missing persons are distributed across affected regions, with Region 12 bearing the heaviest burden with 1,356 injured persons and 18 missing. Region 11 reports 46 injured and 22 missing, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has one injured resident.
The humanitarian impact extends broadly, with approximately 173,000 families—representing around 724,000 individuals—caught in the earthquake's aftermath. Emergency response efforts have established 34 evacuation centres currently sheltering 2,000 families or 10,000 people seeking refuge.
Structural assessments indicate damage across 725 infrastructure facilities throughout the affected zones. The OCD continues documenting the full extent of destruction as recovery operations proceed across the impacted regions.
