6.9 quake jolts Cebu, tremors felt in Iloilo

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By Rjay Zuriaga Castor, Mariela Angella Oladive, Jennifer P. Rendon, and Felipe V. Celino

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu on Tuesday night, Sept. 30, sending tremors as far as Iloilo and prompting evacuations, class suspensions, and safety inspections.

Authorities confirmed no casualties or major infrastructure damage in Cebu and Iloilo despite the strong shaking.

In Iloilo province, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said initial inspections showed only minor cracks at Jibolo Bridge in Janiuay, which remains passable.

Dr. Alfonso Baldonado III, deputy incident commander and head of the PDRRMO Administration and Training Division, said Maasin, Alimodian, and Leon towns were placed under Alert Level 1 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) due to ground movement and are being closely monitored.

In Passi City, 71 people, including 29 students, sought medical attention for dizziness, fainting, and nausea linked to the tremor.

The City Health Office treated 42 patients, while others were hospitalized briefly and later discharged.

Mayor Stephen Palmares ordered the evacuation of students attending a school event at the City of Passi Arena and suspended classes and government work for inspections.

At the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, post-quake checks confirmed the Capitol and Casa Real de Iloilo are structurally sound, with only minor nonstructural defects reported.

No cultural heritage structures were damaged, according to provincial officials.

The operations center is consolidating reports from Iloilo’s 43 municipalities.

In Iloilo City, classes at all levels were suspended, while City Hall and the legislative building reopened at 10 a.m. Wednesday after inspections.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) said Iloilo registered Intensity IV shaking, which is felt by many indoors and some outdoors but typically causes no serious damage.

Darwin Papa, head of the CDRRMO Quick Response Division, said the city is ready if another quake occurs.

“We have the personnel and equipment in our Urban Search and Rescue Unit, our Bureau of Fire Protection, and our two volunteer groups, ICAG Fire Brigade and Federation Fire Brigade,” he said.

Papa added that heavy equipment suppliers were also identified to support large-scale recovery if needed.

The CDRRMO deployed 217 personnel for operations and reported thin cracks in several establishments.

Medical teams treated 31 people — 24 of them employees at the SM Strata Building — for dizziness, vomiting, shaking, and anxiety attacks.

At least 21 schools reported cracks on walls, while six reported damage to beams and columns.

MORE Power said 39,667 consumers were affected by power outages Tuesday night.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said the quake disrupted the Cebu–Negros–Panay–Bohol grid, causing outages in Panay until midnight Wednesday.

NGCP confirmed damage to its Daanbantayan Substation near the epicenter and tripping of four 230-kV transmission lines in the Visayas.

The Department of Education reported 1,120 schools across Western Visayas suspended face-to-face classes, affecting 433,700 students.

The National Irrigation Administration said the Jalaur Dam in Calinog, Iloilo, remained fully operational with no structural damage.

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu ordered the suspension of all classes in public and private schools to allow inspections.

“This is to ensure the safety of our learners, teachers, and school personnel while inspections are conducted,” she said.

The municipalities of Oton, Guimbal, Estancia, Anilao, Pavia, Barotac Nuevo, San Enrique, Maasin, Banate, Cabatuan, Carles, Leganes, Pototan, and Balasan also suspended classes.

Several towns, including Estancia, Anilao, Barotac Nuevo, San Enrique, Cabatuan, Pototan, and Balasan, suspended government work pending safety checks.

Work at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol was suspended until noon Wednesday while engineers and disaster officials inspected the building.

Retired Col. Cornelio Salinas, PDRRMO chief, said the Capitol, Casa Real, National Museum–Iloilo, and the provincial jail were all structurally safe.

The inspection noted only small cracks on the Capitol’s sixth floor and in Casa Real’s comfort rooms.

Salinas said the Capitol was designed to withstand an Intensity 8 earthquake.

“We also did not receive reports of damage in other public or private buildings in Iloilo province,” he said.

Gov. Arthur Defensor urged mayors of towns with high-rise buildings to assess structural integrity and suspend work or classes in multistory facilities if needed.

Salinas also flagged the lack of a local earthquake monitoring station in Iloilo, saying it would help determine quake intensity more accurately.

“We have the West Panay fault line, and a local monitoring station could help authorities respond accordingly,” he said.

Seismometers in monitoring stations record ground motion and transmit data for analysis to assess risks, issue alerts, and activate safety systems.

In Capiz, almost all schools in Roxas City and several towns suspended classes Wednesday, shifting to asynchronous learning.

Municipal engineers and disaster officials conducted inspections of school buildings across the province.

“Safety remains our top priority, and we urge everyone to remain vigilant and cooperative as we continue to monitor the situation,” a school official said.

The towns of Tapaz, Sigma, Dumarao, Pontevedra, Panay, Dao, Panitan, and Cuartero, as well as Capiz State University, Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, Filamer Christian University, and Hercor College Inc., also suspended classes.