Philippine officials praise earthquake response Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Years of disaster preparedness drills helped prevent many more casualties when one of the strongest earthquakes in 50 years struck the south, killing 46 people and leaving 38 missing, Philippine officials said Friday.

The 7.8-magnitude offshore earthquake, which struck Monday off Sarangani province, injured at least 688 people and displaced more than 45,000 people, nearly half of whom remain in emergency shelters, after the quake damaged more than 12,600 homes in agricultural towns and cities.

The Civil Defense Office said in a statement that the numbers of dead and missing people had decreased significantly after multiple verification operations.

Officials said many displaced people are still so traumatized that they cannot return to their homes due to strong aftershocks.

Days after the quake, more videos of chaotic moments were posted on social media showing terrified crowds witnessing small buildings collapse, and a flag-raising ceremony descended into chaos when the ground began to shake on the first day of school after a long summer break.

Students were seen in videos screaming in panic, but remain sitting or standing motionless outside the school buildings, with some covering their heads with their hands while teachers advised them to calm down.

One video, which went viral on Facebook and garnered millions of views, showed dozens of elementary school students screaming and bursting into tears as they sat on the school grounds surrounded by trees, causing them to visibly sway from side to side. Later, a tin roof collapsed nearby with a loud crash, prompting many to run away, but the teachers asked them to return and remain seated.

The elementary school in the coastal town of Malita in the western province of Davao did not report any casualties from the earthquake.

“This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of earthquake preparedness and the value of regular disaster response drills,” Mahahai Elementary School said in a statement.

Years of disaster preparedness exercises have helped people anticipate and prepare for extreme events like Monday’s quake, one of the strongest to hit the archipelago in half a century, said Teresito Bakulcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

He said it was fortunate that the quake occurred at 7:37 a.m., a few minutes before work and classes were due to begin indoors.

“It is good that our efforts to educate people about what to do when earthquakes strike have paid off in one way or another,” Bakulkul told the Associated Press.

But he expressed concern about the collapse of some buildings that he said would have withstood the strong earthquake, if building standards based on the country’s building code had been followed.

Regular disaster preparedness drills have helped reduce the number of casualties in many ways, including by preventing deadly stampedes, said Ednar Dayangerang, director of the civil defense office in the quake-hit region of about 5 million people.

“We asked all school principals to take one-day training courses on incident management, and then they appointed disaster response teams among teachers to deal with earthquakes and tsunamis,” Dayanghirang said. “They listened and learned.”

The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

People on motorcycles pass by a collapsed structure after an earthquake in General Santos, Philippines, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo) Workers inspect a damaged mall in General Santos, southern Philippines, Thursday, June 11, 2026, following Monday’s strong earthquake. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe) People walk past a collapsed building following an earthquake in Sarangani province, Philippines, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe) A woman washes clothes along a damaged path in General Santos, southern Philippines, Thursday, June 11, 2026, following Monday’s strong earthquake. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

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