In the wake of a series of devastating earthquakes that struck the Philippines in late September and early October 2025, the nation is grappling with both the immediate aftermath and a wave of misinformation online. As families mourn their losses and communities begin the long process of recovery, foreign aid is flowing in, and fact-checkers are racing to correct viral falsehoods about the disasters’ impact.
The first major shock came on the night of September 30, 2025, when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu province, at 9:59 p.m. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the death toll from this tremor has reached 76, with 559 reported injuries and a staggering 748,025 people affected. The quake left a trail of destruction across Bogo and neighboring towns, with several buildings, roads, bridges, and seaports damaged or collapsed. Thousands were displaced, and images of cadaver bags outside medical facilities in Bogo City quickly circulated online, underscoring the tragedy’s human toll (as reported by Philippine Daily Inquirer and other local outlets).
Just ten days later, on October 10, the southern island of Mindanao was rocked by two powerful earthquakes. The first, a magnitude 7.4 quake, struck about 20 kilometers off Manay town in Davao Oriental just before 10 a.m., followed by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock nearly ten hours later. The NDRRMC reports that these quakes killed eight people, injured 176, and affected 1.18 million individuals. Officials described the damage to roads, bridges, schools, and other public infrastructure as “minimal,” but assessments of housing losses are ongoing. The magnitude 7.4 earthquake’s epicenter was 48 kilometers northeast of Manay, with the 6.8 aftershock occurring 43 kilometers southeast of the same town later that evening.
As the country reeled from these disasters, international support quickly mobilized. On October 16, Canada announced a CAD$650,000 (about P26.9 million) aid package to bolster disaster-relief efforts in the Philippines. Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State for International Development, emphasized Canada’s commitment: “The Philippines is especially vulnerable to natural disasters, and Canada stands with its people as they face the impacts of these recent disasters. This support will help provide some relief, and we will continue to explore additional ways to help as needed,” he said, according to GMA Integrated News.
Of the total Canadian aid, CAD$350,000 will go to World Vision Canada, a member of the Humanitarian Coalition, to provide relief items, emergency shelter, protection services, and water, sanitation, and hygiene support. Another CAD$250,000 is earmarked for the Philippine Red Cross, specifically for ongoing humanitarian operations in Cebu. The remaining CAD$50,000 will be distributed through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives to Angat Pinas Inc., a Filipino non-profit also focused on relief in Cebu. Since 2023, Canada has contributed CAD$45.8 million in development assistance funding to the Philippines, highlighting a longstanding partnership.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also stepped in, sending urgent relief aid to 40,000 families affected by the Cebu earthquake. The Emirates Aid Agency, under the supervision of the UAE embassy in Manila and in cooperation with Philippine authorities, distributed humanitarian relief in Cebu. The UAE’s broader commitment was underscored by a $10 million allocation to a regional disaster protection fund, with the first phase targeting the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. According to The National, the initiative aims to restore natural protective systems like mangroves and coral reefs, support farmers and small businesses, and develop early warning systems—efforts designed to bolster resilience against future disasters.
But as aid poured in and communities rallied, social media was flooded with dramatic visuals purportedly showing the devastation from the recent earthquakes. Fact-checkers, including AFP, moved swiftly to debunk several widely shared—but misleading—images and videos. One viral clip, viewed over 200,000 times, showed panicked people inside a beauty salon during a quake, with overlaid text claiming it depicted the October 10 Mindanao earthquake. In reality, the footage was from Mandalay, Myanmar, during a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28, 2025. That Myanmar quake was the strongest in the country since 1912, killing nearly 3,800 people and causing widespread destruction, especially in Mandalay. The original video, shared by Burmese salon owner May Thu Soe Wai, bore a clear date stamp of "03-28-2025" and was later confirmed by cross-referencing her TikTok account and video agency Newsflare.
Other images, such as a photo of a damaged church, were traced back to the 2013 Bohol earthquake in the central Philippines—a magnitude 7.1 disaster that killed more than 200 people and severely damaged historic churches. Margaret Lacson, executive director of the Bohol Restoration Group, confirmed to AFP that she took the photo after the 2013 quake. Similarly, a picture of a tilted house was found to be from a 2021 Facebook post commemorating the 2013 Bohol earthquake, and another image of a destroyed house originated from the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, not from recent seismic events.
Despite these clarifications, the misleading visuals were reshared by multiple news outlets, including Anadolu Agency, Daily Mail, Daily Express US, Bilyonaryo News Channel, and DZRH, further muddying the waters for concerned Filipinos and the broader international community. The spread of such misinformation is not new, but it highlights the challenges of disaster reporting in the age of social media, where old images can be quickly repurposed to fit new narratives—often with little regard for accuracy or context.
As the Philippines continues to recover, both from the physical destruction and the confusion sown by viral falsehoods, the resilience of its people is once again on display. International partners are providing vital support, while local and international fact-checkers work to ensure that the story of these disasters is told truthfully. The hope is that, with accurate information and effective aid, the country can rebuild stronger and be better prepared for whatever nature throws its way next.