Earthquake in Cebu: Coverage includes scientific information about the nature of the quake
A 6.9 MAGNITUDE strong earthquake shook the northern parts of Cebu province on the evening of Tuesday, September 30, its epicenter in Bogo City. The record of damage and loss so far includes 74 fatalities, 559 injuries, and 209,972 affected families reeling in the aftermath. Media reports estimated damage to hundreds of households, 87 public buildings, government facilities, schools, churches and cultural heritage sites.
Early coverage on October 1 and October 3, online news outlets Rappler and Inquirer incorporated expert explanation of the nature and source of the quake from scientists and academics, along with updates on damage, government rescue, and relief activities.
News included first-hand accounts in short reports, spotlighting the destruction of hospitals, churches, and other civic and cultural landmarks in city. The province was declared in a state of calamity on October 2
News on print, broadcast, and social media on the morning of October 1 carried visuals recorded on mobile phones of terrified residents running out to the safety of the streets.
Media gave prominence to the relief efforts of national agencies, local government units (LGU) in Cebu, and private sector groups for severely affected communities.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the country’s lead agency on geotectonic phenomena (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunami) served as the key source of risk assessments and information for reporters.
CMFR monitored newscasts from GMA Integrated News’ 24 Oras, ABS-CBN’s ANC and TV Patrol, and News5’s Frontline Pilipinas as well as online reports on selected news websites, Rappler and Inquirer.net, from October 1 to 9, 2025.
Science grounded nine day coverage
Online and TV news tracked the Cebu earthquake for 9 days.
Initial reports recalled the turn of events in the areas affected by the Cebu earthquake. Online news outlets, Rappler and Inquirer.net, distinguished themselves by quickly grounding their coverage on scientific explanation.
Because Cebu had never been widely considered as an earthquake-prone province, the quake on September 30 came as a shock to its many residents and the rest of the population. Rappler’s initial report on October 1 included the observation.
Later the same day, Rappler was the first to report the scientific explanation, publishing an article by Professor Mario Aurelio of the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of the Philippines. Aurelio’s report said that the recent quake suggests an unmapped or inactive fault underlying the area in Cebu. Aurelio’s article highlighted the importance of studying and monitoring this fault line.
Inquirer.net on October 3 included a summary report Phivolcs’ summary and explanation of new scientific findings related to the quake and its cause, including the extent of the tremor’s reach, which was felt as far as Quezon Province, Zamboanga del Norte, Samar, and Antique.
Rappler continued to deepen this science-centered framing. On October 6, it posted Mario Aurelio’s report, which warned against the severe vulnerability, identifying gaps in the country’s seismic monitoring system and hazard assessment. He stressed the urgent need of conducting more comprehensive geological mapping to minimize the potential damage of earthquakes in the future.
Rappler created a dedicated tag (September 2025 Earthquake) to ease access to continuing coverage, allowing readers to conveniently browse all related reports on their website. Rappler maintained live updates from October 1 to 9, combining expert insights, relief efforts, updates on government response, and on-the-ground reports from affected individuals.
Expanded scope of TV coverage
TV coverage demonstrated its capacity to move to affected sites, talk to officials charged with rescue and relief efforts and touch ground to report on communities forced to leave their homes to various shelters. Reporters were deployed to the field to reach out to affected residents to check on damage and dislocation.
Reports updated counts, including injuries and deaths, stressing the loss of human lives as the quake’s most devastating outcome.
On October 1 at 8 am, ANC’s morning show Headstart began with an interview with Cebu Provincial Information Officer Ainjeliz Orong, described the aftermath of the quake and the response efforts undertaken by Cebu LGUs.
At 9 am, ANC streamed a live special coverage to provide updates on conditions in affected areas, succeeding to reach officials on ground. A phone interview with Cebu City Emergency Operations Center Chairman, Councilor Joel Garganera, gave the audience nationwide the status of search, rescue, and assistance operations across the province. The segment concluded with a live broadcast of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s conference in Masbate, where he described disaster response efforts at the national level.
In the evening of the same day, all major networks, GMA Integrated News’ 24 Oras, ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol, ANC and News5’s Frontline Pilipinas, featured the Cebu earthquake as the top story in their primetime newscasts.
Updates issued by disaster agencies transmitted the sense of immediate connection with affected communities, in touch with the issuance of regular warnings of expected aftershocks and reminders of safety protocols.
Regular programs and their weekend counterparts continued to dedicate segments through October 6 to update the audience with enlarged scope of destruction discovered in the process.
Coverage continued to report updated count of fatalities and of recorded aftershocks. From October 1 to 9, GMA News Online, ABS-CBN News, and News5 Online provided consistent follow-ups on the number of affected individuals and different aid efforts via online reports. Meanwhile, interviewed local government officials detailed the number of rescue teams in action to assure the public that aid was underway.
On October 8, ABS-CBN News premiered a short documentary on YouTube with the use of the Visayan medium, looking at the aftermath of the recent earthquake. It stood out for its localized approach and shaped the affected community’s narrative while gathering insights from experts who assessed the quake’s damage.
Media’s expanded role in times of disaster
Timely reporting helps agencies to direct the delivery of rescue and relief resources. Delay in information can cost lives and media has historically helped agencies to identify the communities most in need.
The cycle of disaster activities assigns the media a connecting and coordinating agency. Affected by disaster, communities reach out to the media in their first call for help. Media provides and receives information connecting those in need to those preparing to aid and rescue.
Quick information ensures speed and correct priorities in distribution.
Journalists are often quick to report videos and real time updates provided by netizens themselves, incorporating such information with the reports of their correspondents and sources in the field.
While coverage remains fixed on scenes of destruction and death counts, the media have proven the capacity to connect communities with shared information, locating the affected, gathering information and sharing this with public or private agencies experienced in disaster aid and service.
Our given geography calls for more coordinated endeavor in building up disaster awareness and preparedness as a system and a culture. This should involve government officials and citizens to engage in civic exercises and practice that will make it second nature for every Filipino to act as individuals as well as communities working for the common good at all times, but most especially when disaster strikes.
BPO workers’ grievances
The recent experience of earthquake revealed the lack of safety and security in the workplace with some workers left in precarious conditions when the quake struck.
According to BPO Industry Employees’ Network Cebu (BIEN Cebu), several BPO companies allegedly forced employees to keep working during the earthquake by blocking exits, denying evacuation, and even offering double pay to stay despite the imminent peril. Workers who chose safety reportedly faced threats and disciplinary actions. Other labor violations included forcing staff back to their stations within minutes of the tremor.
On October 2, the labor group filed a complaint before the Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office 7 (DOLE-7) against 10 BPO companies in Cebu City, referencing the alleged violations of labor rights and worker safety.
News outlets (Bulatlat, Inquirer.net, Philstar.com, Rappler, GMA News Online on) on October 2 and 3 picked up the news about these complaints.
Rappler provided a comprehensive report citing BIEN Cebu’s testimonies in full detail, while GMA News Online highlighted how workers were offered incentives to ignore safety protocols.
Inquirer.net and Philstar.com focused on the legal implications and the potential liabilities faced by employers who endangered staff during a state of emergency.
On October 6, DOLE announced that it suspended the unnamed BPO company after inspectors found that they had exposed its employees to “imminent danger” because of the lack of emergency and disaster response plans. DOLE-7 Director Roy Buenafe announced that the order formed was part of a broader investigation into BPO firms accused of neglecting worker safety during and after the quake.
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