M5.8 Quake Jolts Northern Cebu Amid Ongoing Relief Efforts

Still recovering from the devastation of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck on September 30, 2025, residents of northern Cebu were jolted awake early Monday, October 13, by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered near Bogo City.

Authorities said the new tremor, which occurred at 1:06 a.m., may be an aftershock of last month’s deadly quake that has claimed numerous lives.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in its Earthquake Information No. 2 bulletin, said the tectonic quake had its epicenter 11 kilometers south, 21 degrees west of Bogo City at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers.

It was felt strongest at Intensity V in several northern Cebu towns including Tabuelan, Bogo, Tabogon, San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan, and in Villaba, Leyte.

Residents in Bantayan, Catmon, Sogod, and Tuburan, as well as in Cebu City, Danao, Talisay, and Argao, reported Intensity IV shaking, while Intensity III tremors were recorded in other areas across Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Occidental.

Even Legazpi City in Albay felt light shaking at Intensity I. Instrumental intensity readings confirmed the strong movement, with Intensity V in Villaba and Intensity IV across parts of Cebu and Leyte.

The quake rattled nerves across the province, still reeling from the September 30 disaster that left dozens dead and thousands displaced. According to the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), fatalities from the magnitude 6.9 quake have risen to 75.

The breakdown of casualties is as follows: Bogo City (33), San Remigio (15), Medellin (15), Tabogon (6), Tabuelan (2), Borbon (2), Sogod (1), and Oslob (1).

Authorities are now checking if the latest magnitude 5.8 tremor caused additional casualties. “We are verifying if there were casualties resulting from the magnitude 5.8 aftershock that jolted Cebu at 1:06 a.m. on Monday, October 13,” said Office of the Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Bernardo Alejandro IV.

In a televised interview, Alejandro added that aftershocks triggered by the main quake have now reached nearly 11,000. He urged the public to remain alert as the ground continues to move days after the major tremor.

Amid the ongoing seismic activity, government relief efforts continue in the affected areas. The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD 7) announced that it has completed the second round of food assistance for quake-hit communities in northern Cebu.

“We are done dispatching for the second round of assistance in northern Cebu,” said DSWD 7 Director Shalaine Marie Lucero in a message interview on Saturday, October 11.

Lucero said the department is now calling for more volunteers to help pack Family Food Packs (FFPs) both for Cebu and other regions needing assistance.

“The volunteers are needed to help pack for our support to Mindanao, preposition to spikes and last mile in the Visayas region and as part of our response efforts—we maintain 300,000 FFPs at any given time,” she said.

From October 2 to October 10, a total of 1,689 volunteers from schools, private groups, and government offices joined the repacking operations at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City.

Earlier, DSWD 7 deployed 225,864 FFPs in its first wave of assistance on October 7, followed by another 225,000 packs for the second round, with Daanbantayan receiving the highest allocation.

Lucero encouraged Cebuanos to continue volunteering: “Mag-uban ta sa pagtinabangay sa mga nanginahanglan. Help us ensure that no one is left behind, tungod kay Bawat Buhay Mahalaga sa DSWD.”

In a separate statement, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured continuous government support, saying that food distribution will soon be followed by cash assistance for quake-hit families once local governments finalize data on damaged homes.

As aftershocks persist and recovery efforts continue, officials remind residents to stay vigilant, cooperate with authorities, and support relief operations for communities hardest hit by the twin quakes that have shaken northern Cebu to its core.