The Municipality of Manay in Davao Oriental has declared a state of calamity following two powerful earthquakes that struck the area on Friday.
The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, hit early in the morning, followed by a second tremor measuring 6.8 later that evening. Both earthquakes caused widespread damage across the municipality’s 17 barangays, prompting local officials to seek emergency assistance.
Declaring a state of calamity enables the local government to access emergency funds for disaster response and rehabilitation.
As of Friday evening, power had yet to be restored to the town. Mayor Jon Marco Dayanghirang said the extent of the damage, particularly from the first quake, was severe—impacting homes, bridges, schools, and various government facilities.
One of the hardest-hit facilities was the Manay District Hospital. With its emergency room ceiling collapsed and its administration building suffering extensive structural damage—including shattered glass windows and cracked floors and walls—the hospital was forced to relocate patients to a nearby vacant lot for safety.
A female patient who was struck by a hollow block during the quake had to be transferred to Mati City, as the hospital’s x-ray machine was rendered inoperable.
At least seven people were reported dead across the Davao Region as a result of the morning quake. According to data from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), three fatalities occurred in Mati City and another three in Pantukan, Davao de Oro.
In Davao City, an 80-year-old man was killed when a concrete wall collapsed on him in Purok 3, Soliman, Barangay Tomas Monteverde, according to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO). Another woman in Mati City died after being pinned by a perimeter wall behind the boarding house where she was staying.
