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Renalyn Ramirez - Philstar.com
June 10, 2026 | 7:00am
Patients from Sarangani Provincial Hospital stayed outside after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, June 8, 2026.
DSWD
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered agencies to prioritize the assessment of hospitals and health facilities affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao, Malacañang said.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos issued the directive during a situation briefing Tuesday morning, June 9, instructing Cabinet officials to check hospitals and health facilities first to ensure the safety of patients.
Castro said Marcos ordered the Department of Health and the Department of Public Works and Highways to immediately assess damaged hospitals. The Department of Energy was also directed to prioritize power supply for health facilities.
"According to the president, patients in areas hit by the strong earthquake need immediate attention," Castro said in Filipino at a press briefing Tuesday.
The order came as damaged hospitals in the quake zone continued treating patients outside their buildings.
Doctors treated patients in tents under the sun on Tuesday, including helping a young mother give birth outdoors behind a makeshift screen at a hospital just outside General Santos City.
In Glan, Sarangani, staff at another hospital said more than 60 patients had been moved to beds outside the facility because of fears over the building's structural safety.
"The hospital sustained a lot of damage," a hospital staff member told Agence France Presse. "The municipal engineer decided we could not use the building."
General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao earlier informed Marcos of the needs of the city, which was placed under a state of calamity on Monday.
Castro said Marcos has plans to visit quake-affected areas but that details could not yet be disclosed.
Rescue ops
As of Tuesday, search, rescue and retrieval operations were still ongoing in different parts of Mindanao, with Sarangani and General Santos City as the main focus.
The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed 150 responders and two search and rescue dogs to intensify operations in General Santos City.
The Philippine Red Cross also remained on the ground, with volunteer nurses supporting local medical personnel and providing psychological first aid. — with reports from Agence France Presse
