PhilSA data maps landslide areas after Mindanao earthquake

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on Saturday released satellite data showing landslides that occurred after the devastating Mindanao earthquake.

PhilSA's map showed earthquake-induced landslides affecting barangays Calabanit, Ilaya, San Vicente, Congan, and Calpidong in Glan, Sarangani; and barangays Butuan, Patulang, Sugal, Nuing, San Isidro, and Batulan in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

The agency said that the total area possibly affected by landslides is about 137.87 hectares.

PhilSA said landslide areas were identified through observing vegetation loss between pre-disaster (01 June 2026) and post-disaster (14 June 2026) images from Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B satellites of the European Space Agency.

"Vegetation loss was quantified by a significant decrease in Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) between the satellite images. The maps are subject to ground validation," said PhilSA.

PhilSA said its data provides provides wide-area coverage that assists the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in monitoring the situation and prioritizing areas for response.

"PhilSA will continue monitoring satellite data as the situation requires," it added.

The death toll from the Mindanao earthquake is down to 76, according to the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) situation report released on Friday.

NDRRMC said that more than 1.45 million people across Mindanao remain affected due to the earthquake.

As of June 19, authorities recorded 348,579 affected families or 1,453,372 individuals across Regions IX, XI, XII, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The number is higher than the 1.41 million affected individuals reported a day earlier.

The June 8 earthquake has also left extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. —VAL, GMA News