7.8 magnitude quake disrupts Mindanao power grid; emergency repairs begin
The structural remains of a fast-food restaurant lie in ruins in General Santos City on Monday, June 8, 2026, after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Mindanao region. The intense tremor caused widespread structural damage, triggered regional tsunami warnings, and knocked out critical power infrastructure across the southern grid. (Ryan Jay Quizon I Facebook)
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) are working with local distributors to restore electricity in Mindanao after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake triggered widespread power outages, structural damage, and regional tsunami warnings.
State grid operator NGCP confirmed that transmission services have been fully restored in the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat. Power restoration remains partial in South Cotabato, where utility crews are repairing damaged localized distribution systems.
Simultaneously, energy infrastructure networks throughout Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, and Davao Oriental have successfully brought their localized services back online following temporary safety shutdowns.
Sarangani province and its commercial hub, General Santos City, remain the hardest-hit areas, with power lines still completely down. The onshore disruptions follow severe shaking that damaged retail structures and local university facilities in General Santos City.
The DOE has mobilized emergency coordination teams across electric cooperatives, private distribution utilities, and the local oil industry to accelerate safety assessments.
Technical teams are currently inspecting vital energy infrastructure, including high-voltage power lines, regional substations, fuel depots, and retail gasoline stations, to quantify structural damage and determine the extent of supply chain bottlenecks.