A community specifically designed to offer refuge to those who endured Super Typhoon Haiyan over a decade ago has tragically found itself at the epicenter of a destructive earthquake that struck the Philippines late Tuesday.
Tragically, this single village accounted for at least 10 fatalities, according to Wilson Ramos, an emergency responder. This grim tally contributes to the official count of at least 69 confirmed deaths across Cebu Province, the region most heavily impacted by the powerful 6.9-magnitude temblor.
“This settlement was established with the very purpose of protecting typhoon victims and individuals from vulnerable areas,” Ramos explained. “While it’s uncertain if the deceased were also Haiyan survivors — given more than ten years have passed — the original intent was to provide them a safe, new beginning.”
As the Philippine Office of Civil Defense reports dozens still missing, rescue teams on Wednesday launched extensive operations, tirelessly searching for survivors buried beneath the wreckage. In response to the widespread devastation, Governor Pamela Baricuatro declared a state of emergency for Cebu Province, located approximately 350 miles south of the capital, Manila.
During a press briefing, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, a deputy administrator for the civil defense office, stated that emergency operations are concentrated on the northernmost part of Cebu’s main island. This includes Bogo City, the very location where the Haiyan survivor village was founded in 2014.
Established with charitable funding, the village aimed to supply 200 “disaster-resilient homes” for those displaced by Haiyan, also known as Super Typhoon Yolanda. This catastrophic event in 2013 claimed over 6,000 lives and prompted the relocation of residents from hazardous coastal areas.
However, when the earthquake struck, ceilings tragically caved in, contributing significantly to the high number of casualties, confirmed Mikee Empaces, the executive secretary in the governor’s office.
Jeany Ynot, who leads Bogo City’s disaster unit, reported, “Entire families were wiped out, and in other instances, multiple members of a single household perished.”
The affected community was developed by SM Cares, the philanthropic division of one of the Philippines’ most prominent corporations, which did not provide an immediate response to inquiries sent via email on Wednesday evening.
Compounding the tragedy, numerous residents in other areas were engulfed by soil and massive boulders due to earthquake-triggered landslides. The mountainous village of Binabag, in particular, suffered immense damage, Ms. Ynot reported in an interview.
“Our immediate and paramount objective is search and rescue,” Mr. Alejandro affirmed at the news conference.
He emphasized that a significant number of people are believed to be trapped beneath the earthquake’s debris.
Mr. Alejandro reported that his office has requested more personnel for the Bogo City district hospital, which is currently struggling to cope with the influx of injured patients.
Officials confirmed extensive damage to the region’s infrastructure, including at least 11 impassable bridges and crucial roads blocked by landslides. Several government structures, such as Bogo City Hall, a municipal hall in a neighboring town, and a sports complex, have either completely collapsed or sustained significant destruction.
Ms. Empaces added that two or three hospitals are no longer operational, and at least three municipalities are experiencing complete power and communication outages.
To address the devastation, Mr. Alejandro confirmed that public works teams are being deployed to Cebu to assess structural integrity, with a specific directive to prioritize hospitals, schools, and transportation routes.
“Our immediate objectives are to restore power and guarantee the safety of all remaining structures,” he stated firmly.
In Bogo City alone, approximately 1,000 residents are currently sheltering in open areas, awaiting safety inspections of their homes.
This recent seismic event marks the deadliest earthquake to strike the Philippines since the devastating 2013 temblor in Bohol.