'We're Alive': Philippines 7.8 Earthquake Survivor Turns To TV As Communications Collapse

2026-06-10 02:35:12

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Sarangani Province resident Renz Hernani survived Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the southern Philippines. But like millions of other survivors, he and his wife are now grappling with the devastation caused by the strongest tremor they have ever experienced.

Foremost on his mind, however, is how to inform his mother-in-law, an overseas worker in Qatar, that while their community has been devastated, they are at least alive. So when a television crew visited their community, he approached them and asked to be recorded so he could send her a message.

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“Mama, you can now see what happened to the house via (television network) ABS-CBN. You have worked hard for this to be built, but do not grieve too much,” Renz said during the interview.

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He explained that he could not send photos of the devastating scene as there remains no phone signal in the area and their phones are dead as electricity has yet to be restored.

Roads to Glan also remain impassable to motor traffic.

Local authorities said they are scrambling to restore electricity to hard-hit areas in the province. But on-ground reports show it may take a while for communication services to be brought back online.

Private sector assistance

Satellite internet constellation Starlink has offered free connectivity through a local phone service provider for survivors who need to communicate with family and friends elsewhere in the Philippines and abroad.

“For those impacted by the earthquake in the Philippines, Starlink Mobile is providing free connectivity to Globe customers in the affected regions. Families, communities and businesses with compatible LTE smartphones can now stay connected through select apps and SMS even if terrestrial networks are not available,” the company announced.

Residents, however, said even in General Santos City, Globe has the weakest signal among service providers in the area. They also point out that since electrical service had been disrupted by the tremor, their phones have since died.

The situation worries migrant Filipino workers in the UAE who are desperate to talk to their families back in the Philippines.

Not the time for fake news

Meanwhile, Philippine authorities urged Filipinos to refrain from spreading unverified information, especially from social media.

The Philippine Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) have asked the public to disregard unverified rumors and instead rely strictly on updates from official government channels and credible news organizations following the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

The OCD stressed the need for accurate information sharing to prevent widespread panic and ensure effective resource allocation. It is the official source on validated reports on casualties, injuries, and affected families.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology is the principal authority for exact earthquake parameters (magnitude, depth, epicenter) and tsunami warnings while the Philippine Information Agency is the official public information arm of the government, distributing validated OCD and NDRRMC disaster bulletins.

The authorities added that credible news organizations help in disseminating accurate updates while social media sites cannot be trusted.