Magnitude 6.9 Cebu Earthquake Displaces 40,000 Amid Deadliest Philippine Natural Disaster

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu in the Philippines, leaving at least 72 dead, nearly 300 injured, and displacing around 40,000 people across the province. Survivors, fearful of aftershocks and unsafe structures, have been forced to sleep outdoors in makeshift shelters such as pigpens, open fields, and under plastic bags to protect themselves from rain and cold. Many quake victims urgently need food, clean water, and safe shelter, but government aid has been slow to arrive, and evacuation centers remain unused pending safety inspections. Residents in towns like San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan have expressed desperation, with some begging for food and water by the roadside under harsh conditions. Local governments and relief groups are organizing donation drives, but much aid has yet to reach the most remote and hardest-hit areas. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged the dire situation and the challenges in providing immediate relief and rehabilitation.