Gov't assessing damage of Cebu earthquake —Marcos

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that the government is assessing the damage in Cebu province following the deadly earthquake that hit Bogo City.

''We are still assessing the damage there, but the earthquake was very strong... pagka 'yung ganyang klaseng mga numbers, that's a very very big number already. So we are assessing the damage, we are assessing needs,'' Marcos said in an interview. 

(When you get those kinds of numbers, that's a very, very big number already. So we are assessing the damage,, and we are assessing their needs.)

The reported death toll due to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake has increased to 60, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

The earthquake struck Bogo City in Cebu at 9:59 p.m. of Tuesday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 11.09°N, 124.13°E - 017 km N 73° E of City of Bogo (Cebu).

Marcos already tasked government agencies to mobilize help for the residents affected by the earthquake.

He also expressed condolences to the family whose loved ones died amid the disaster.

Following the President’s order, the Department of Health (DOH) swiftly assessed its personnel closest to the area, according to the Presidential Communications Office. 

The doctors, nurses, and staff of the DOH Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and the DOH Cebu South Medical Center (CSMC) have reported back on their safety. They are deploying medical teams to nearby areas, especially in Bogo City. 

Meanwhile, the DOH Centers for Health Development (CHD) regional offices in Central and Eastern Visayas have reported back and are already coordinating with their regional counterparts in the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 Central Visayas already intensified coordination with the affected LGUs to provide resource augmentation and address the needs of their constituents.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, meanwhile, said the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police are fully mobilized to assist in the operations.  —VAL, GMA Integrated News