The number of houses destroyed or damaged in Malapatan, Sarangani due to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on June 8, 2026 has reached more than 12,000.

Authorities said around 2,058 houses were destroyed while around 10,683 others were damaged, as of this writing.

“Mahirap, masakit kasi wala na kaming matuluyan. Yung mga anak ko wala dito, nandoon sa laot. Pag uwi nila dito wala na kaming bahay. Sana matulungan kami sa bahay namin na maayos, maski maliit kahit kubo lang basta mayroon lang kaming matuluyan, yan lang ang hiling naming,” a resident affected, Rosminda Pagubo, said.

The number of fatalities in the town rose to nine while two are still missing in Barangay Kinam due to a landslide.

Aside from those who lost their homes and others staying in evacuation centers, several evacuees have reportedly fallen ill.

Authorities are setting up additional evacuation camps to decongest schools currently being used as temporary shelters, as overcrowding has contributed to the emergence of health concerns, particularly cases of diarrhea.

To help address potential water contamination, 10,000 requested jerrycans have arrived and will be distributed along with aquatabs for water purification in affected communities.

“Nagdadagdag tayo ng mga camp sites kasi ‘yung mga nasa eskwelahan is masyado nang marami. So, lumalabas na din po ‘yung mga sakit lalo na ‘yung diarrhea. Dumating ngayon ‘yung nirequest namin na 10 thousand jerrycans at may ilalagay diyan na tinawag nilang aquatabs just to control the contamination kung meron man sa mga areas nila,” Malapatan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Chief, Bon Quiño, said.

ASSISTANCE

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to start the distribution of financial assistance this weekend for families whose homes were damaged by the earthquake across all affected areas.

“We’ve also agreed with them na yung relaxing of… kasi wala ng mga ID eh, natabunan sa bahay, so we all agreed na local certification nalang po,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will provide financial assistance worth P30,000 to homeowners whose houses were among the 11,000 recorded as totally damaged by the earthquake.

The agency also has programs for the distribution of construction materials, shelter kits, and loan moratorium assistance to affected families.

Meanwhile, the construction of modular shelter units is scheduled to begin next week.

“Ang first batch dito ay 500 units, ang JAS, Malapatan, Gensan City, Glan and Sarangani, Balut Island,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said.

The local government must first identify and provide land for the shelters, and the site must be declared safe by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

NO ACTIVE FAULT LINE

Most of the residents affected are reportedly hesitant to rebuild their homes after seeing the ground sink and develop large cracks following the earthquake.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) clarified that there is no active fault line, particularly in General Santos City.

PHIVOLCS said the cracks and large fissures observed in the ground were caused by a phenomenon known as liquefaction, which occurs when water-saturated soil temporarily loses its strength during strong ground shaking, causing the ground to crack, sink, or shift.

“Pagsinabi mong liquefaction, ito yung paghalo ng water at saka sediments kapag malakas ang lindol katulad natin na nagkaroon tayo ng intensity 8, so talagang ang ground shaking at tsaka ang area mo ay malapit sa coastal or kaya ay malapit sa ilog,” PHIVOLCS Science Research Analyst, Nane Danlag, said.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau-SOCCSKSARGEN (MGB-12) has recommended that residents be evacuated for the meantime while the ground conditions remain unstable.