Story perspectives

7.8-Mquake Ravages Mindanao; Govt Promises Support

6/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will not abandon Mindanao and ordered agencies to stand by after a magnitude-7.8 offshore quake struck near the region.
The quake cut power, damaged a main bridge in General Santos and generated three-foot tsunami waves that hit Philippine coasts and Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan.
Aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.5 prompted the Philippine military to deploy disaster-response units to the affected areas.

History

Historical Context

The 1990 Luzon earthquake, striking on July 16 1990 with a magnitude 7.7, devastated central Philippines, killing thousands and reshaping national disaster policy. President Corazon Aquino mobilized the Philippine Red Cross, the United States military’s Joint Task Force, and allocated PHP10 billion (?$200 million) for emergency relief. Similarly, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. now commands agencies after the 7.8-magnitude Mindanao quake, deploying military disaster-response units and urging swift bridge repairs. The 1990 disaster spurred the 1991 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, indicating current leaders may tighten building codes and expand early-warning networks.

1 of 2

Story summary

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will not abandon Mindanao and ordered agencies to stand by after a magnitude-7.8 offshore quake struck near the region.
The quake cut power, damaged a main bridge in General Santos and generated three-foot tsunami waves that hit Philippine coasts and Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan.
Aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.5 prompted the Philippine military to deploy disaster-response units to the affected areas.

1 / 2