In Borbon, Cebu, survivors of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake stood along a stretch of the highway in Barangay Don Gregorio Antigua, holding makeshift placards pleading for help. One of them, Marilyn Bedrejo, carried a piece of cardboard that read, “Tubig lang po (We need water).”
“We just need food, water, and rice,” Bedrejo told GMA News reporter Emil Sumangil in a “24 Oras” broadcast. “We are really struggling because of the earthquake.”
Another resident, Fe Lacno, said they now spend nights on the sidewalks in fear of the continuous aftershocks. “We are having a difficult time right now after the earthquake. At night, we sleep on the sidewalk because there are still aftershocks. Actually, there was a strong tremor last night,” she said.
The tremor on September 30 caused heavy destruction in Borbon, leaving homes in ruins, including that of elderly siblings Gavino and Leonora. Police managed to rescue the two, but their house was reduced to rubble. Gavino was later seen combing through what was left of their belongings.
In nearby Bogo City, the epicenter of the quake, a truck carrying chicken feed overturned as the ground shook. Driver Christopher Casiño recalled, “I thought it was just the wind, but it seemed that the truck was swaying. So I decided to stop because I can no longer control it.”
San Remigio was also hit hard. The town’s sports complex, where a basketball game was underway, collapsed and killed five people. The structure is now considered unsafe and off-limits due to the risk of further collapse.
One of the victims was the youngest son of Gemma Destura, who served as a referee in the match between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection. “He was the last one to come out. His motorcycle was the only one left, so we thought that maybe he was one of the victims,” Destura said, breaking down in grief. His body was recovered the following day. “It pains me so much because he’s my youngest, and he’s still young. I cannot accept what happened. So what will I do now?” she lamented.
Behind the sports complex, the municipal traffic office was flattened, with only its roof left visible on the ground. In Barangay Hagnaya, at least 63 families sought refuge on an empty lot as the aftershocks continued to jolt their community.
