Magnitude 7.8 Mindanao Earthquake: How Filipinos in Singapore Can Help and Check on Family
37 dead and 479 injured in Sarangani as of 10 June. Here is how kababayans in Singapore reach family, send help that lands, and use OWWA and DFA channels.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off Maasim, Sarangani on Monday, 8 June, at 7.37am. As of 10 June, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reports 37 dead, 479 injured, and four missing. More than 19,000 families have been affected across SOCCSKSARGEN and the Davao region, and Phivolcs has logged over 130 aftershocks, one of them magnitude 6.7.
If your family lives in General Santos, Sarangani, South Cotabato, or Davao, here is what to do from Singapore.
Reach your family first
Power and mobile signal dropped in parts of the region after the quake. Calls may fail where a text still gets through. Try SMS and Messenger before voice. If no one answers, message a neighbour or a barangay group chat instead of calling the same number on repeat.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and OWWA run assistance lines for families of overseas workers. Both post current hotline numbers on their official Facebook pages. Use those, not screenshots forwarded in group chats.
Give through channels that account for the money
Relief scams move fast after a disaster. Before you send anything:
Give through named organisations with a public track record: the Philippine Red Cross, DSWD, and accredited NGOs working in SOCCSKSARGEN.
Treat any GCash number posted by a stranger as unverified. Real drives name the registered organisation behind the account.
Keep your receipt. Legitimate groups issue acknowledgements.
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If you are sending money home
Remittance volume spikes after a quake, and so do fees on some channels. Compare the total cost, not the headline rate, before you send. Our guide on sending money to the Philippines breaks down the options.
If your family needs to rebuild, OWWA runs livelihood and loan programmes for OFW households. Confirm eligibility on the OWWA page before you queue.
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What we are watching
The figures above are as of 10 June and will change as rescue teams reach cut-off areas. Phivolcs has warned of more aftershocks. We will update this story as the NDRRMC releases new counts.
For kababayans here, the hardest part is the distance. You cannot dig, but you can reach the right people, send help that lands, and keep your family steady from here.
Hero image: "En route to Glan Sarangani Province Philippines.jpg" by Michael E. Peligro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
