A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit off the southern Philippines early Monday, killing at least 19 people, injuring more than 200, and sending tsunami waves up to 1 meter crashing into coastal communities.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at 7:37 a.m. Philippine Standard Time — 23:37 GMT Sunday — centered about 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim in Sarangani province and roughly 55 kilometers deep. PHIVOLCS, which initially measured the quake at magnitude 7.0, revised the figure to 7.8 and said the rupture was caused by movement along the Cotabato Trench.
The Office of Civil Defense put the death toll at 19, with victims reported in General Santos City, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island. Buildings collapsed on top of people, debris fell on others, and at least one landslide struck a community, officials said. A damaged mosque also claimed lives.
PHIVOLCS rated the maximum shaking in General Santos City at PEIS VII — the Destructive level on its intensity scale. The strongest aftershock, according to the USGS, measured 6.5.
The quake struck on the first day of the 2026–2027 academic year. In videos circulating from multiple provinces, schoolchildren ran for open ground as buildings swayed around them. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered class suspensions across all levels in affected areas until further notice, saying, “The safety of our children comes first.”
The Department of Education said approximately 6,224 schools across five regions were affected. Structural engineers and assessment teams moved across the region to check school buildings for damage. In Davao del Sur, a school building collapsed; officials said it was unoccupied at the time.
PHIVOLCS issued a tsunami warning and told people living along the coast to get to higher ground right away. Monitoring stations recorded waves reaching roughly 1 meter at Kiamba and Maasim. Smaller waves reached Indonesia, Palau, and southern Japan. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the danger had mostly passed about five hours after the quake. By mid-afternoon, Philippine officials had called off the warning.
General Santos, a port city of about 722,000 people, took some of the worst damage in the quake. Videos verified by AFP showed a shopping complex housing a Jollibee fast-food restaurant collapse into rubble. Airport authorities temporarily shut down General Santos International Airport.
Marcos said he personally directed the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to take charge of the emergency response.
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