Mindanao, Philippines receives helicopter aid weeks after deadly 7.8 quake

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Mindanao on June 8, leaving at least seven dead, 40 injured, 13 missing and more than 22,500 families displaced. Over 6,700 homes and numerous schools, health centres and barangay halls were damaged, isolating remote villages as roads and communications collapsed.

Sixteen days later, officials in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental sought a helicopter airlift to deliver roughly 21 metric tons of food, medicine and other relief to isolated barangays such as San Isidro, Quiapo, Molmol and Kalbay. The request highlights ongoing challenges in reaching communities cut off by the disaster.

The quake also triggered aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.3 event recorded off Balut Island in Sarangani on June 25 at a depth of 10 km. The aftershock was felt across General Santos City and surrounding towns, with intensities ranging from II to III. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that more aftershocks are expected.

Aid agencies, including the Philippine Red Cross and the Inquirer Foundation, have launched appeals for donations of food, clean water and other essential supplies to support the affected families.