Five persons were reported injured in the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck San Francisco town in the Province of Southern Leyte morning on January 23, 2025.

Three of the five persons were determined to be residents of San Francisco.

“May limang injuries po tayong reported. Dalawa po sa Pintuyan, Southern Leyte, isa pong male, 14 years old, due to collapsed firewall of the house at isa din pong male, 63 years old, na nahulugan din po ng coconut on the onset of the earthquake, while tatlo naman po sa San Francisco, yung epicenter po,” according to Sher Saises, spokesperson of the Office of Civil Defense Eastern Visayas (OCD 8)

In an initial report, at least 235 houses were damaged partially. These houses are located in the Municipalites of Pintuyan, Padre Burgos, Saint Bernard, and San Francisco, while at least seven houses were  destroyed in San Francisco.

The data are based on the assessment of local government units (LGUs), personnel of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Office of Civil Defense 8, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

As of this writing, OCD 8 has continued gathering information on the number of families and individuals affected by the tremor.

At least 19 schools in Southern Leyte suspended classes immediately on January 23, 2025, while others cancelled classes on Friday, January 24, 2025, especially schools with buildings where cracks are apparent.

Assessment on the number of affected school buildings, commercial buildings, and government buildings are ongoing, as of this posting.

Meanwhile, all roads and bridges affected by the earthquake are now rendered passable.

“As to the road and bridges naman po, passable naman po ang lahat, may mga limitations lang, like one lane or outer lane lang ang mga passable, especially po doon sa Liloan, Southern Leyte. Sila po yung medyo badly damaged nung earthquake, yung mga road and bridges,” Saises added.

The Blue Alert status prevails over disaster risk reduction teams of LGUs in Southern Leyte, as of this writing.

LGUs have already sent initial relief assistance to affected residents such as in San Francisco, the epicenter of the quake.