The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Wednesday, Oct. 15, that more than 1.8 million individuals were already affected by the recent earthquakes that rocked Davao Oriental and Cebu.

OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and all response agencies remain on red alert to ensure immediate assistance and coordinated action in quake-hit areas.

In Davao Oriental, a total of 256,036 families or 1,124,611 individuals were affected by the twin earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 which jolted Manay town on Oct. 10. Those affected were reported in Davao (Region 11) and Caraga (Region 13), covering seven provinces, 51 cities and municipalities, and 491 barangays.

At least 748 families or 2,903 persons were staying in nine evacuation centers while 52 families or 192 individuals have sought refuge outside these centers. The disaster claimed nine lives and injured 196 others.

A total of 10,267 houses were partially damaged and 715 totally destroyed, while damage to infrastructure increased to P115.38 million. Government assistance provided to affected residents has already reached P57.78 million, which included 36,988 family food packs distributed to displaced families.

Meanwhile, in Bogo City, Cebu, there were 212,445 families or 744,566 individuals affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck on Sept. 30. Those affected were noted in Central Visayas (Region 7), covering one province (Cebu), 18 cities and municipalities, and 259 barangays.

There were also 75 reported deaths and 559 injuries in Cebu.

A total of 1,273 families or 5,328 individuals were currently sheltered in 17 evacuation centers while 4,102 families or 15,904 individuals were staying with relatives, friends, or in open spaces due to fear of aftershocks.

The Cebu quake also left 98,879 houses partially damaged and 7,404 totally destroyed, with infrastructure damage estimated at P6.76 million.

Government aid in Cebu has reached P400.34 million, including 443,340 family food packs distributed to affected residents.

Castillo underscored that public safety remains the government’s primary concern especially amid continued aftershocks in several provinces.

“Dito sa mga lugar kung saan tuluy-tuloy ang aftershock, ‘yung iba walang pasok kasi ang mahalaga ay kaligtasan muna ng ating mga kababayan lalo na ‘yung mga estudyante (In areas where aftershocks continue, some classes have been suspended because the safety of our people, especially the students, remains the priority),” he said.

He added that while some nearby provinces are not directly affected, anxiety among residents remains high due to misinformation spreading online.

“Ang lindol mahirap talagang mapredict. Hindi natin alam kung kailan o saan ito mangyayari. Kaya hindi rin basta-basta tayo maniniwala dapat kapag may nagsabi na may mangyayaring lindol sa ganitong lugar na hindi pa naman nangyayari (Earthquakes are really difficult to predict. We don’t know when or where they will occur. That’s why we shouldn’t easily believe claims that an earthquake will happen in a certain place when there’s no actual basis for it),” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, Castillo said the OCD continues to coordinate with local government units to conduct structural assessments and audits of schools, bridges, and other critical infrastructure as part of ongoing disaster preparedness measures.

“Matagal na nating ginagawa ang structural audits at mahalaga ito para sa kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan. Kasama ito sa ating mga hakbang sa disaster preparedness (We have been conducting structural audits for a long time, and this is important for the safety of our people. It is part of our measures for disaster preparedness),” he said.

He assured the public that disaster response and monitoring remain intensified, especially in landslide-prone areas.

“Ang ating mga response agencies ay naka-red alert sa NDRRMC. Ang direktiba ng Pangulo [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] ay maayos at agarang pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan, kasama na ang patuloy na paghahanda (Our response agencies are on red alert under the NDRRMC. The directive of the President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] is to ensure orderly and immediate response to the needs of our fellow citizens, along with continuous preparedness efforts,” Castillo emphasized.