Shaken Foundations: Life After the Davao Oriental Twin Quakes

The southern Philippines' Davao Oriental province was hit by not one—but two major earthquakes on October 10, 2025. The initial, magnitude 7.4 quake, hit off the coast in Manay town in the morning; the second, 6.8, hit in the evening. These quakes—a "doublet"—have left deep impacts on communities, infrastructure, and psyches throughout the area.

The Human Cost

Although the figures are not yet confirmed, the damage and disruption are already extensive:

Fatalities & Injuries: Seven fatalities and 11 injured up to latest reports.

Affected Population: More than 8,400 people (3,519 families) have been directly impacted in Davao Region and Caraga. Thousands more displaced.

Evacuations & Shelters: Around 2,468 families (approximately 7,900 individuals) are seeking shelter in evacuation centers. Others have been preemptively evacuated.

These aren't figures—they are individuals whose houses were damaged or lost, whose lifestyles are disrupted, who are now reliant on government and NGOs for basic needs such as shelter, food, and clean water.

Damage, Infrastructure & Daily Disruption

Homes and Buildings: Hundreds of residences have been damaged—some are totally destroyed.

Roads, Bridges & Transport: A number of road sections and at least one bridge are impassable. Some seaports are impacted, resulting in stranded passengers.

Utilities & Communication: There have been power outages in several municipalities. Communication lines were cut but most already repaired. Evacuation and warning systems utilized.

Schools & Public Services: Classes have been cancelled; public structures (schools, barangay halls, etc.) destroyed.

Aftermath & Psychological Impact

In addition to material damage, the area is experiencing what usually goes unreported:

Aftershocks: There have been almost 800 aftershocks, some of which have been experienced by residents.These keep fuelling fears and mistrust in the stability of buildings.

Panic & Trauma: Most residents experience fear, tension, and sleep disturbance. Children and elderly are particularly vulnerable. Evacuation centers, though life-saving, frequently lack privacy or adequate facilities, exacerbating emotional stress.

Disruption of Livelihood: Small-scale farming, fishing, local enterprises—everyone's impacted. With impaired infrastructure and road damage, supply chains stutter, transport delays impact markets and access to services.

What Authorities & Aid Agencies Are Doing

Shelter, damage assessment, and relief operations are being coordinated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has deployed aid: cash transfers, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and family food packs are being prepared.Local governments have placed affected municipalities under a state of calamity. Evacuation centers are operational; preemptive evacuations where danger persists.

Challenges & Gaps

Still, there are immediate and medium-term challenges:

Resources & Logistics: Evacuation shelters are strained. Providing clean water, sanitation, medical supplies, and sleeping areas is challenging, particularly in far-flung barangays.

Structural Safety: Most of the damaged residences can collapse with aftershocks. Engineering evaluation must come before residents' return.

Information & Communication: Although most communication links are back, some communities are not yet connected, slowing down assistance. Correct information is imperative—for safety reasons, as well as for the coordination of aid.

Psychosocial Support: Trauma from earthquakes and aftershocks doesn't fade soon. Counselling (support services, particularly for children) is required.

Rebuilding & Resilience: Reconstruction must factor in improved building codes, quake-resistant architecture, and zone planning.

What We Can Learn

These double quakes teach valuable lessons—for Davao Oriental, and for disaster-risk areas worldwide:

Preparedness makes a difference: Early warning systems, public awareness, drills can be lifesavers. Evacuations before disasters struck saved lives in some places.

Doublet earthquakes make response more complex: Low-tide earthquake and high-tide earthquake in a single day burden local resources, lower recovery windows, and enhance aftershock risk.

Invest in resilient infrastructure: Structures, roads, bridges constructed at higher standards (earthquake-resistant) decrease damage, accelerate recovery.

Community-based approach: Locals understand their landscape, their weaknesses, and are normally first responders. Empowering them creates long-term resilience.

Hope & Recovery: What Comes Next

In spite of the destruction, there is a strong sense of community. There are reports of neighbors assisting neighbors, volunteers bringing relief, local officials advocating for rapid return of power, water, schools. It will take time to recover—but with organized national assistance, and global assistance where necessary, Davao Oriental can not only be rebuilt—but restored even stronger.

Urgent priorities over the next few weeks and months are:

Comprehensive damage assessments of all damaged homes and infrastructure

Providing safe haven and minimum requirements to displaced families

Continuity of mental health care and education

Reconstruction planning with resilient designs

Enhancing local disaster preparedness and early warning systems

A Human Face to the Numbers

Let us finish with the reminder: behind the "8,000+ affected" stands an individual who has lost their house, an individual still worried about aftershocks, an individual together with family in a temporary shelter. Every statistic has a story. Emphasizing them—telling them—reminds us that disasters are not only events. They are upsets of existence, culture, faith in safety. It is our common task to ensure resilient rebuilding.