Davao Oriental doublet quakes shake southern Philippines

By Gabriela Casais

Life News Today

DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines (Oct. 10, 2025) — Two powerful offshore earthquakes struck eastern Mindanao on Friday, toppling homes, cutting power and prompting brief tsunami alerts along the Pacific coast. The twin shocks, known as a “doublet,” left at least seven people dead and dozens injured across Davao Oriental and nearby provinces, according to local officials. The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, struck at 9:43 a.m. local time about 43 kilometers east of Manay town at a depth of 23 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. A second quake, magnitude 6.8, followed nearly seven hours later in the same area at a depth of 37 kilometers. Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol described the second event as a distinct but related quake. “The second one is a separate earthquake, which we call a doublet quake,” Bacolcol told the Associated Press. “Both happened in the same area but have different strengths and epicenters.”

When the first tremor hit, residents fled their homes and coastal communities rushed to higher ground. Tsunami warnings were issued for parts of southern Mindanao and eastern Visayas, warning of possible waves more than a meter high. The alerts were lifted hours later after only minor surges were recorded. Reports of destruction spread quickly from Manay to Baganga and Mati City. In Baganga, more than 200 houses were damaged and 30 people were hospitalized, according to the provincial disaster office. Local officials said some of the dead were struck by falling debris or suffered heart attacks during the shaking. In Mati City, one of the hardest-hit areas, hospitals were evacuated after cracks appeared in several buildings.

Power outages rippled across Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro and parts of Surigao del Sur. Roads were blocked by landslides, and communications were disrupted in coastal towns. The district hospital in Manay sustained heavy damage, forcing patients into temporary tents in the courtyard. Schools suspended classes while engineers inspected buildings for safety. The quakes originated along the Philippine Trench, one of the most active subduction zones in the Pacific Ring of Fire. By late afternoon, Phivolcs had recorded more than 1,200 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1.2 to 5.8. Scientists warned that stronger aftershocks could follow in the coming days, increasing the risk of additional landslides and collapses. Bacolcol said the doublet resembled a 1992 Mindanao sequence that caused extensive damage across eastern provinces and explained that such events occur when a single fault system releases stress in two separate bursts instead of one.

The provincial government declared a state of calamity in Manay on Oct. 11, freeing emergency funds for food, medicine and temporary shelters. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered search and rescue teams deployed to Davao Oriental and directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to coordinate relief operations and assess infrastructure damage. In a televised briefing, he urged residents to “cooperate with local officials and prioritize safety above all.” Provincial authorities suspended tourism activities, mobilized food packs for displaced families and formed a donation management committee to track aid distribution. In Pantukan, Tarragona and Cateel, roads remained impassable, and power service was unstable through the weekend. By Oct. 12, the NDRRMC reported that more than 70,000 families had been affected and at least 13,000 homes damaged or destroyed. In Compostela Valley, engineers worked overnight to reopen blocked transport routes.

In a shelter outside Baganga, evacuee Maria Lopez described the first quake as “a rolling sound that never seemed to end.” She said, “We ran into the street. The walls moved like paper.” In another town, teacher Francisco Gello told local radio that the tremors came in “waves of sound and silence” and that children “were crying, clinging to desks.” Residents in Manay recalled hearing the roar of shifting earth moments before the second quake struck. “We thought it was over, but the ground came alive again,” said fisherman Joel Dela Cruz, who spent the night in a school gym converted into a temporary shelter.

Experts said the Davao Oriental doublet was a reminder that even well-monitored areas remain vulnerable. The Philippines sits on the boundary of several tectonic plates, making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Doublet quakes are especially dangerous because the second shock often hits before rescue operations are complete, striking already weakened structures. Disaster officials said teams are working under that risk, prioritizing bridges, hospitals and schools for rapid inspection. International agencies, including the United Nations, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the U.S. Embassy, have expressed readiness to assist with humanitarian relief and technical support.

By Sunday, aftershocks continued to rattle the coast as aid convoys moved through narrow mountain roads delivering water, blankets and medicine. Temporary shelters filled with families sleeping on mats while officials urged residents to remain alert. Scientists are analyzing whether the doublet may signal increased stress along nearby fault systems. For now, Phivolcs continues to monitor the region and has urged local governments to update evacuation maps and retrofit older buildings.

The twin earthquakes left deep physical and emotional scars but also revealed the strength of local communities. Whether this disaster becomes another entry in the Philippines’ long history of resilience or a turning point in seismic preparedness will depend on how quickly recovery begins once the ground is still again.