President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a public statement on Monday directing all relevant agencies to act at once after a powerful earthquake struck off Sarangani and placed coastal stretches of Mindanao under a tsunami warning.
“I have directed all relevant government agencies to act immediately,” the President said. He confirmed that the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had taken charge of coordinating the response across affected areas, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development instructed to pre-position relief goods and ready evacuation centers. The Department of Public Works and Highways, he added, was on standby to inspect roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure and to clear routes for rescue and relief work.
The President also suspended classes at all levels across affected parts of Mindanao until further notice, citing children’s safety and directing the Department of Education to coordinate with local governments. The order landed on what was the opening day of the school year in many areas.
His most urgent words were aimed at those nearest the coast. “To our kababayans in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning. Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind,” Marcos said.
The statement followed the magnitude 7.8 quake that hit off Sarangani at 7:37 a.m., which the US Geological Survey measured at a depth of roughly 35 kilometers and which prompted tsunami warnings reaching as far as Indonesia and Japan. Buildings collapsed in General Santos City, and Phivolcs warned that damage and aftershocks were expected as response teams fanned out across the region.
“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” the President said, adding that he was in constant contact with regional offices and local chief executives and that further updates would follow as conditions changed.
