The landslides that hit Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental when the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on Monday, June 8, 2026, has blocked major roads, making it difficult to reach several barangays in the town.
According to reports, seven people were confirmed dead due to a landslide.
Large boulders and thick soil covered roads in several barangays, leaving them hardly passable, due to a landslide.
Aside from the landslide, cracks also appeared on roads in Barangay Nuing. Clearing operations are ongoing, as of this writing.
“Actually, meron tayong relief items na available na hindi po natin madadala sa mga barangays because hindi po passable ng mga trucks natin ang landslide-prone areas,” said Ariel Austin Acosta, head of the Jose Abad Santos Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
The chairman of one of the isolated barangays said power supply was restored on Tuesday, June 9.
Barangay Patulang Chairman Ray Mark Sestoso said at least 15 hectares of hillside in Sitio Lower Biopanda were affected by a landslide. A family of five was buried by the debris.
He said up to eight people reman missing, as of this writing, after getting buried in landslides in different areas.
“Ang problema lang didto sa amoang bukid kay almost 60 to 80 percent sa among bukid kay totally damaged gyud siya. Didto po ang na-landslide, didto natabunan ang tulo ka pamilya. Almost or more than 20 ha ang nakatabon sa ilaha isa ka pamilya,” Garces said.
Residents are relying on food supplies from the neighboring Barangay Kalbay. They said if aid does not arrive within a few days, they will have nothing left to eat.
“Pero kung magpirmente ni nga walay makasulod, siguro mag-last nalang ang supply diri tanan, pinakadugay na nang one week,” Garces added.
About half of the barangays in the town still have no electricity, as of this writing.
Based on the latest report, seven people were confirmed dead after getting buried in a landslide and trapped under a house that collapsed.
At least 10 others remain missing.
“I gave instruction na padalhan ng tig-P10,000 per dead person para makatulong na maibsan ang kanilang problema sa kanilang mga gastusin. But we will not stop there. Kung ano pa ang pwede nating gawing tulong para matulungan ang mga apektadong pamilya,” Jose Abad Santos Mayor Jason John Joyce said.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has conducted an aerial inspection in the town to assess the extent of damage.
Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have gone house-to-house to evaluate the damage in each household.
They have also started distributing rice and relief packs to affected residents.
The local government has declared a state of calamity to allow the immediate delivery of assistance to those affected.
“Kahit na may tulong ang ating gobyerno ay bukas parin po ang ating local government unit kung meron pong mabubuting mga puso. For water or ready to eat food at tsaka mga flashlights o solar lights,” Joyce said.
