CEBU CITY – Even the dead was not spared by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu province on Sept. 30.

Aside from collapsed houses, commercial buildings, and damaged roads, some cemeteries in Bogo City were also in shambles following the strong quake that left at least 70 people dead.

At the new Corazon Cemetery in Barangay Sambag, hundreds of tombs were severely damaged, exposing human remains.

According to Barangay Councilor and ‘’sepulturero’’ (gravedigger) Lando Bentulan, 1,000 tombs and bone chambers were crippled.

Bentulan said recently built graves were easily destroyed as the fresh cement failed to withstand the jolt.

Relatives were disheartened to see the remains of their departed loved ones exposed due to the massive destruction, said Bentulan.

“We appeal to the relatives to understand the situation. We did not want this, this is an act of nature," Bentulan told MyTV Cebu in dialect.

Bentulan said the cemetery can accommodate 30,000 burials. He warned that some families may find their relatives’ graves cracked, displaced, or crushed.

Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez urged residents to inspect the graves of their deceased relatives and immediately report any damage.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education-Central Visayas (DepEd-7) said damage to public schools in Cebu province caused by the earthquake may exceed P1 billion.

DepEd-7 Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez said damage in the fifth district alone has reached around P400 million.

“If you multiply that by all seven districts, so it’s already more than a billion,” Salustiano said.

The hardest-hit areas are Bogo City, San Remigio, and Medellin, which are part of the fourth district.

DepEd-7 reported that more than 50,000 learners were affected, along with 1,421 teaching and non-teaching personnel, including 887 in Bogo, the epicenter of the quake.

Jimenez said the amount of damage would still increase as the assessment is still ongoing.