The government of the Philippines is focusing on disaster relief and recovery in the aftermath of a massive 6.9 earthquake on Tuesday night, which killed at least 73 people.

More than 550 others were injured, and more than 20,000 people have reportedly been displaced from their homes.

With at least 5,000 houses damaged, some residents were sleeping outdoors in parks, grassy clearings, and on sidewalks, enduring sporadic rain because aftershocks have fueled fears about the safety of their homes.

“We can’t blame people if they refuse to return home ... there were too many aftershocks and some were really strong,” Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon said in a news conference in Manila. “They don’t want to go anywhere with a roof."

PHOTO: Patients wait outside the Cebu Provincial Hospital Bogo City after a strong earthquake struck in Bogo city, Cebu province, central Philippines, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo)

About 1,000 tents are being set up with the help of the Red Cross in Bogo and outlying towns starting Saturday for thousands of residents.

But some survivors are still without basic necessities.

Resident Joan Jurado said, "We don't have food to eat, and we also need some money for our baby, milk, diapers, anything, water. We really need water."

CBN's Operation Blessing is deploying a disaster relief team to the quake zone, sending a water filtration device to help those without water, and traveling with a volunteer doctor and nurse to help those with medical needs.

"The need for urgent help is critical," the ministry reports. "In the midst of this crisis, Operation Blessing's Philippines team was among the first to act—boarding a flight with a volunteer doctor and nurse to deliver emergency supplies and assess the needs on the ground."

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