14/06/2026
Pope Leo XIV expressed his solidarity with the population of the Philippine islands, struck last Monday, June 8, by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, concentrated mainly in the south of the country.
"I would like to express my closeness to the people of the Philippines affected a few days ago by a powerful earthquake. I pray for the deceased and their families, for the injured, and for all those who are suffering because of this calamity."
It was the strongest tremor to hit the country this year and had its epicenter at sea, approximately 16 kilometers from the coast of the island of Mindanao, the second most populous island in the Philippine archipelago. Strong tremors were felt across several provinces and as far as 420 km away, in the city of Manado, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The earthquake was also felt in the state of Sabah, in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo.
At least 46 people were killed and more than 200 injured due to the collapse of buildings and infrastructure. 32,000 people have been left homeless. The hardest-hit area was the port city of General Santos, whose international airport was temporarily closed and 17 domestic flights were cancelled, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The earthquake also triggered a landslide in the mountain town of Glan, in Sarangani Province, in the southern Philippines, which killed 13 residents.