Philippines hit by strong quakes, dozens dead, many schools damaged

A series of powerful earthquakes that struck the Philippines in late September and early October have left dozens dead, hundreds injured, tens of thousands of homes damaged and schools and hospitals across multiple regions in need of major repairs, authorities said. The strongest quakes were a magnitude 6.9 offshore of Bogo City, Cebu, on Sept. 30 and a magnitude 7.4 offshore of Manay, Davao Oriental, on Oct. 10, followed by numerous aftershocks that continued to rattle communities into mid October.

National and provincial agencies reported severe damage to infrastructure and education facilities. The Department of Education said initial visual assessments in Davao Oriental identified 575 schools with varying degrees of damage and estimated repair costs of about P2.23 billion, and that 1,006 schools had been affected overall by the Oct. 10 temblors. In Cebu, regional education officials placed school damage in northern municipalities at roughly P4 billion, with about 200 schools affected and hundreds of classrooms destroyed or badly damaged. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said roughly 100,000 learners and 10,000 teachers have been impacted across affected areas and that...