FIVE days after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao, conflicting casualty figures emerged on Saturday as the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) worked to reconcile discrepancies in reported deaths, injuries and missing persons.
As of 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, the OCD reported 61 deaths, 1,221 injuries and 33 missing persons following the powerful tremor that devastated wide swaths of Regions 11 (Davao Region) and 12 (Soccsksargen). However, the NDRRMC — the government’s main disaster response body — released a lower validated death toll of 46, with 688 injured and 38 missing, after a verification process that eliminated duplicate or unverified field reports.
The disparity highlights the challenges disaster agencies face in confirming real-time data from remote and heavily damaged areas. According to the NDRRMC, the majority of confirmed deaths occurred in Region 12 (39 fatalities) and Region 11 (7). OCD officials attributed most casualties to landslides and building collapses in and around General Santos City, one of the hardest-hit urban centers.
Disaster officials stressed that initial figures remain fluid as search and retrieval operations continue. “The validation process involves cross-checking death certificates, medical records and on-the-ground assessments,” an NDRRMC spokesman said. “We expect numbers to change as more bodies are recovered and reports are verified.”
Infrastructure damage widens
The earthquake severely damaged critical infrastructure across Mindanao’s southern provinces. As of Saturday, 28 road sections and nine bridges remained impassable, cutting off several municipalities from relief and rescue convoys. The Department of Public Works and Highways reported that emergency repairs are under way, but heavy equipment is struggling to reach some isolated areas.
Housing damage has also escalated dramatically. More than 19,000 houses have been damaged, with over 3,000 totally destroyed, forcing thousands of families into evacuation centers or makeshift tents. Aftershocks — some exceeding magnitude 5.0 — continued to rattle the region overnight and intermittent rain has raised the risk of further landslides and waterborne diseases.
Following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Defense Secretary and NDRRMC Chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Undersecretary Harold Cabreros, response teams have been deployed across affected areas.
”We will continue working until every family in need receives the support and services they deserve,” said Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro IV, deputy administrator for administration of the OCD, in a statement on the ongoing humanitarian assistance efforts in Mindanao.
Health authorities have sent mental health support units to evacuation centers, while social welfare teams are distributing food packs and temporary shelter materials. The OCD said relief operations would continue without interruption as assessments of infrastructure damage and casualty figures are further refined in the coming days.
Meanwhile, a yacht carrying relief supplies for earthquake victims caught fire off the coast of Glan, Sarangani province, on Friday. All 42 people on board were safely rescued, but the incident temporarily disrupted the transport of relief goods to coastal communities. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.
Officials urged the public to rely only on verified information from the NDRRMC and OCD, warning that unconfirmed social media reports have contributed to confusion over casualty numbers. Local government units in Regions 11 and 12 have issued appeals for water, medicine and heavy equipment to clear debris and restore access to stranded villages.
