The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has announced the official cancellation of the tsunami warning earlier issued following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck off the coast of Davao Oriental and impacted nearby regions on Friday.

In a video message released Friday afternoon, OCD Deputy Administrator for Administration Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV confirmed that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) lifted the tsunami alert as of 1:43 PM, citing no further threat to coastal communities.

“Wala na pong banta ng tsunami sa mga areas earlier put on alert, like Davao Oriental, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Eastern Samar (There is no longer a tsunami threat in the areas earlier placed on alert, such as Davao Oriental, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Eastern Samar)” Alejandro said. 

“These areas are now put on stand-down mode, so pwede na pong bumalik (so people may now return),” he added.

Despite the cancellation, Alejandro urged the public to remain calm and vigilant, as government agencies continue to assess the full extent of the quake’s damage.

“We assure the public that all units on the ground are doing their rapid assessment to assess the damage and the overall impact of this earthquake event,” he said. 

According to Alejandro, government agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), have already been mobilized to evaluate the structural integrity of national roads, bridges, and schools. 

Many areas affected by the quake had suspended classes and work earlier in the day to ensure public safety.

In Davao Oriental, an aerial survey is currently being conducted by OCD Regional Director and elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to obtain a broader view of the affected zones.

“We assure our public that all help will be given and will be addressed,” Alejandro emphasized.

As part of the national government’s disaster response, Alejandro noted that 100,000 family food packs are currently prepositioned in Davao City and ready for distribution to impacted areas. An additional 5,000 ready-to-eat meals from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are also on standby for rapid deployment.

“Tuloy-tuloy po ang ating pagre-responde (we continue our response efforts),” he said. “We will provide regular updates as soon as we get additional reports from the ground.”

Alejandro called on for public cooperation and continued attentiveness to official announcements.

“We urge everybody to continue to cooperate and to listen to authorities as far as announcements or any future actions that will be taken by our government.”

Authorities are still validating reports of casualties, injuries, and damages from local government units and emergency teams deployed in the quake-hit areas.