By Aaron Recuenco
Authorities are intensifying search and rescue efforts for 31 people still missing after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Sarangani and nearby areas in Mindanao on June 8.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Thursday morning that the death toll has climbed to 47, with 13 missing in the Davao region and 18 in central Mindanao.
Most of the fatalities—35—were recorded in central Mindanao, which also accounts for the majority of the injured, with 647 of the 688 victims.
Rescue teams are working around the clock amid widespread destruction.
The quake triggered at least 37 landslides and caused the collapse of houses and establishments, leaving 12,641 homes damaged, 2,289 of them totally destroyed.
More than 346,000 individuals were affected, with over 16,000 still in evacuation centers.
Search and rescue operations remain focused on isolated communities, particularly in Glan, Sarangani, where landslides and damaged bridges have cut off access. The devastation also forced widespread suspensions of classes and work in over 300 areas, while power and communication lines remain unstable.
Davao Occidental and several towns in South Cotabato and Sarangani have declared a state of calamity as authorities continue to prioritize locating survivors and recovering the missing.
