A tent city has begun to rise in Barangay Cogon, Bogo City, Cebu, offering a temporary but much-needed refuge for families displaced by the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
Over the weekend, the first phase of the shelter site opened, prioritizing 50 families currently living in makeshift roadside shelters. Once fully set up, the tent city is expected to accommodate up to 2,500 families — one tent per family.
The earthquake, which struck offshore Northern Cebu on 30 September, has left a trail of damage: more than 600 homes and 87 other structures affected. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, over 170,000 people have been impacted, with 20,000 now displaced.
The project is a multi-agency effort, led by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Electrification Administration, Department of Health and the Philippine Red Cross. Officials including DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon, and Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco were on-site to oversee the initiative.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) confirmed the discovery of a new earthquake fault in Sitio Looc, Barangay Nailon, Bogo City. Their Quick Response Team (QRT) identified the onshore extension of the offshore fault that triggered the September quake. It has now been officially named the Bogo Bay Fault.
Initial observations revealed signs of surface rupture — open ground fissures, pressure mounds and fault scarps — within a two-meter-wide deformation zone. While the QRT initially mapped about 200 meters of ground rupture, drone footage has since shown it could extend up to 1.5 kilometers.
Phivolcs says field verification is still ongoing to determine the full length and characteristics of this newly identified fault line.