Beyond Emergency Relief: Supporting Recovery After the Mindanao Earthquake
Two months after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, 2026, affected communities are beginning the difficult process of recovery. For many families, however, the end of the immediate emergency does not mean that the challenges are over.
In Malita, Davao Occidental, 1,788 houses were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. Many residents have returned to their damaged homes, despite the risks and the limited resources available to repair them.
The situation has also been complicated by other disasters. In July, severe rainfall caused flooding in parts of Davao Occidental, including a flash flood that swept away homes and people. For communities already affected by the earthquake, the combination of damaged housing, continuing aftershocks, coastal hazards, flooding, and landslide risks creates additional pressure and increases the possibility of further displacement.
Families must continue to find ways to secure safe housing while maintaining access to water, sanitation, food, livelihoods, education, and other essential services.
The earthquake has also affected children’s education.
In one fishing community, a secondary school had already been operating under difficult conditions after a previous earthquake in 2025 made one of its buildings unusable. The June 2026 earthquake caused further damage, leaving the school unable to safely use its remaining buildings.
As the community works toward establishing temporary classrooms and eventually rebuilding, students have had to continue their education outdoors. PBV provided tarpaulins and hygiene supplies to help create a safer and more suitable temporary learning environment for approximately 600 students.
Ensuring that children can continue attending school is an important part of recovery. Safe learning spaces provide not only access to education, but also a stable environment for children and families during a period of uncertainty.
Through its partnership with BMFI and local authorities, PBV has so far supported at least 500 households and approximately 3,500 people across five villages in Malita.
The assistance has focused on immediate needs, including hygiene supplies, water containers, tarpaulins, and water tanks. As recovery continues, however, longer-term support will be increasingly important.
Based on the needs identified on the ground, further assistance could include expanding shelter repair support so that more families can restore safe and dignified homes, as well as establishing temporary learning spaces in communities where schools have been damaged.
The experience in Malita also highlights the importance of strengthening community resilience to multiple hazards. Earthquakes, flooding, landslides, and coastal hazards can overlap, placing additional pressure on communities that have limited resources to recover.
PBV and BMFI will continue to work with local governments, community leaders, and residents to understand these changing needs and support communities as they move from emergency relief toward recovery and greater resilience. As the second phase of the intervention, we are looking to support house repair in the affected communities to prepare.
We are grateful to everyone whose support has made this assistance possible, including our local partners and supporters in Japan.
