Cebu and Bohol reel from 6.9-magnitude quake: Communities evacuate, infrastructure assessed

By Ma. Solita Virtudazo
Bulatlat.com

BOGO CITY, Cebu — October 1, 2025, 12:00 noon (PST). A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off northern Cebu late Tuesday night, shaking Central Visayas awake and leaving a trail of collapsed structures, damaged roads, and mounting casualties. The tremor, recorded at 9:59 p.m. with its epicenter near Bogo City and Getafe, Bohol, was initially logged at magnitude 6.7 before the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) upgraded it to 6.9 at a shallow depth of five kilometers.

The quake unleashed violent ground motion. Phivolcs reported Intensity 7 shaking near the epicenter, while Cebu City and parts of Leyte registered strong instrumental readings. By dawn, the agency had tracked more than 600 aftershocks, four of them felt, and warned residents to brace for more in the coming days.

Rising toll in Cebu

Local authorities confirmed at least 20 fatalities in the hours after the quake, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) later reporting 26 deaths and 147 injuries. A separate update from Bogo City officials placed the local death toll at 30 by mid-morning Wednesday, underscoring the fluidity of the situation as responders reached more remote barangays.

In Daanbantayan, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima sustained major damage, while heritage structures in Bantayan Island also crumbled. Roads in Tabogon cracked open, and bridges in San Remigio were declared unsafe for heavy vehicles. A landslide in Tabuelan blocked a stretch of the national highway, further complicating relief efforts.

Commercial establishments were not spared: a fire broke out at SM Consolacion around the time of the quake, though it was quickly contained. In Cebu City and Bogo, fast-food outlets and lodging houses reported structural damage. Mandaue City temporarily closed sections of its public market and city hall for safety inspections.

Northern Bohol towns shaken

Across the strait, northern Bohol municipalities also felt the brunt of the quake. Getafe, the town closest to the epicenter, reported strong shaking that sent residents rushing to higher ground during the tsunami advisory. In Talibon, power outages forced families to spend the night outdoors, while cracks were observed in some public buildings. Buenavista recorded minor damage to schools and barangay halls, while Tubigon briefly suspended port operations as a precaution.

In Inabanga and Ubay, residents described the tremor as “sudden and violent,” prompting precautionary evacuations. Municipal engineers have begun inspecting classrooms, churches, and government facilities for structural integrity. As of Wednesday morning, no fatalities had been confirmed in Bohol, though local disaster councils reported injuries and temporary displacement in several coastal barangays.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) confirmed that portions of Bohol were cut off from the Cebu–Negros–Panay grid after the quake, causing intermittent power supply across northern towns. Restoration efforts were underway by Wednesday morning. Below are the affected cities and towns in Cebu and Bohol.

Cebu Municipalities/Cities Affected

Municipality/City	Reported Impact	Details
Bogo	Epicenter; heaviest damage; collapsed houses and commercial buildings; multiple fatalities and injuries	At least 30 deaths reported by morning of Oct. 1; rescue operations ongoing; several families displaced
San Remegio	Fatalities and infrastructure damage	Bridges and roads cracked; some barangays isolated; LGU is considering a state of calamity
Medellin	Casualties and structural damage	At least one confirmed death; homes and public buildings damaged
Daanbantayan	Heritage church collapse	Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima partially collapsed; other structures were damaged
Bantayan Island (Bantayan, Sta. Fe, Madridejos)	Heritage and residential damage	Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol church damaged; houses and establishments shaken
Tabogon	Road and bridge cracks	Barangay bridges unsafe for heavy vehicles; inspections ongoing
Tabuelan	Landslide	National highway blocked by landslide; cleared by DPWH
Sogod	Fatality and landslides	Elderly woman killed by falling rocks; landslide incidents reported
Consolacion	Commercial fire	Fire at SM Consolacion mall during quake; quickly contained
Mandaue City	Cracks in public facilities	Market and city hall sections closed for inspection
Cebu City	Cracks and evacuations	Evacuations in IT Park, Colon Night Market, and UP Cebu; no major collapses
Lapu-Lapu City	Bridge closed and class suspensions	Mandaue-Mactan First Bridge temporarily closed; classes suspended
Talisay City and Minglanilla	Class suspensions; precautionary checks	Minor structural reports; schools inspected

Bohol Municipalities/City Affected

Municipality/City	Reported Impact	Details
Tagbilaran City	Power outage; precautionary evacuation	Residents fled into the streets; patients at Gov. Celestino Gallares Medical Center were briefly evacuated before engineers cleared the building of any hazards.
Dauis	Bridge damage	Castel Bridge is limited to light vehicles; Borja Bridge is reduced to a single lane due to structural concerns.
Sevilla	Minor cracks in school buildings	Declared non-hazardous but under monitoring.
Balilihan	Minor cracks in school buildings	Structural inspections are ongoing.
Ubay	Minor cracks in schools; temporary power outage	No casualties reported
Bien Unido	Minor cracks in schools	Declared safe after inspection
Guindulman	Minor cracks in schools	No major damage reported
Getafe	Strong shaking, power interruptions	Closest to epicenter, residents evacuated to higher ground during tsunami advisory
Talibon	Power outages, cracks in public buildings	Families spent the night outdoors; coastal barangays evacuated
Buenavista	Minor structural damage in schools and barangay halls	No casualties confirmed
Tubigon	Temporary power loss; port operations suspended	Evacuations during tsunami advisory; inspections ongoing
Inabanga	Strong shaking; precautionary evacuations	Awaiting full structural assessment

Emergency response

Cebu province declared a state of calamity to expedite the release of funds for relief and rehabilitation. Classes were suspended in Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu to allow for structural inspections. In Bohol, local disaster councils urged residents to remain vigilant, avoid re-entering visibly damaged structures, and report hazards to barangay officials.

While PHIVOLCS lifted its tsunami information advisory at 1:20 a.m. after confirming no significant sea-level changes, the night of September 30 left a lasting imprint on coastal communities. For many families in northern Bohol, the quake echoed the trauma of October 2013—a haunting déjà vu that underscored their enduring vulnerability and the deep resilience needed to navigate the long road to recovery.

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