Cebu earthquake victims take to the streets to plead for food, water

In a portion of the highway in Barangay Don Grerogio Antigua in Borbon, Cebu, motorists and pedestrians were greeted by several people holding placards saying they need help.

They were survivors of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that rocked Cebu on the night of September 30.  Although the village is around one hour away from Bogo City, the earthquake's epicenter, the tremor caused damage to several houses and brought fear to the residents.

Marilyn Bedrejo was holding a small piece of carton that says, “Tubig lang po (We need water)." 

“We just need food, water, and rice,” she said in Emil Sumangil’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday. 

“We are really struggling because of the earthquake,” Bedrejo added. 

Likewise, Fe Lacno lamented the struggles they are facing after the earthquake, which left them sleeping on the sidewalks. 

“We are having a difficult time right now after the earthquake. At night, we sleep on the sidewalk because there are still aftershocks. Actually, there was a strong tremor last night,” she shared. 

The earthquake damaged several houses in Borbon, including the home of two elderly siblings, Gavino and Leonora. Fortunately, the two senior citizens were safe after they were rescued by the police. 

In the report, Lolo Gavino was seen scavenging from the rubble of their earthquake-hit home.

Meanwhile, a truck carrying chicken feed tipped over due to the shaking of the ground in Barangay Cogon in Bogo City. 

“I thought it was just the wind, but it seemed that the truck was swaying. So I decided to stop because I can no longer control it…” said driver Christopher Casiño.

San Remigio 

In San Remigio, which was also heavily affected by the earthquake, residents are prohibited from entering the premises of the town’s sports complex, where five died. A basketball match was ongoing when the disaster happened. 

The basketball court is deemed useless as the ceiling and walls might collapse anytime soon due to aftershocks, the report said. 

Gemma Destura, the mother of one fatality on the basketball court, shared that her youngest son was a referee in the basketball match between members of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection. 

“He was the last one to come out. His motorcycle was the only one left, so we thought that maybe he was one of the victims,” she said. 

Responders found her son’s body on Thursday. 

“It pains me so much because he’s my youngest, and he’s still young. I cannot accept what happened. So what will I do now?” said Destura. 

Just behind the San Remigio Sports Complex was the office of the traffic department. But the office was reduced to only its roof, which was lying on the ground. 

Meanwhile, a total of 63 families in Purok Agbati in Barangay Hagnaya are seeking temporary shelter in a vacant lot amid the aftershocks. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News