BFP defers quake death updates to OCD

MANILA, Philippines — To avoid confusion, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) announced that it is now deferring to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in releasing official updates on the death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao.

The move follows a report of the BFP on Wednesday that announced 53 people had died in the powerful earthquake, which is higher than the OCD’s Friday figure of 46 fatalities.

Superintendent Anthony Arroyo, BFP spokesman, said that while the agency continues to receive updates from its regional offices in Mindanao, the OCD remains the official source of consolidated public reports and that casualty figures are still subject to validation.

Meanwhile, health response operations have been stepped up in quake-hit areas, with the Department of Health (DOH) deploying two Philippine Emergency Medical Teams (PEMATs) to affected communities in Mindanao.

The PEMAT from the Cotabato Regional Medical Center has been sent to Sarangani and is expected to arrive in Glan today.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said the team is equipped with a portable gravity-powered ultrafiltration unit capable of producing thousands of liters of safe drinking water daily without electricity or chemicals, along with anti-diarrheal medicines.

The deployment includes a full medical complement of specialists such as surgeons, OB-GYNs, emergency and anesthesia doctors, pediatricians, internists, nurses, midwives, technologists, therapists, mental health specialists and support staff.

Another PEMAT from the Southern Philippines Medical Center has also been sent to Balut Island in Sarangani, Davao Occidental, to reinforce health operations.

Aside from the deployment of medical teams, health financing support has also been expanded for affected residents.

Under Advisory 2026-0034, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) announced that it would shoulder the full cost of covered orthopedic implants for earthquake-related injuries under its Z Benefit for selected orthopedic implants.

“Health facilities shall facilitate registration by attaching a properly accomplished PhilHealth membership registration form to the claims, together with available supporting documents, and submitting these manually to the nearest PhilHealth regional office,” the advisory read.

Members and non-members may avail of the benefits regardless of hospital accommodation type, in both public and private facilities.

The Philippine Red Cross, for its part, has intensified water rationing operations in Sarangani to prevent critical shortages in earthquake-affected communities.

On Friday, PRC deployed a high-capacity water tanker and delivered 4,000 liters of safe drinking water to about 266 individuals from 88 displaced families in Purok Rose and Purok Adelfa in Barangay Taluya, Glan. — Rhodina Villanueva