DAVAO CITY — When the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani early Monday morning, June 8, 2026, hundreds of students at Cabantian Elementary School in Davao City were already gathered outdoors for the first flag-raising ceremony of the school year — a routine that their teacher says saved their lives.
A video shared by teacher Jessa Babatuan showed learners calmly walking to safety as the ground shook, with some covering their heads while others sat in the open field. “Our flag saved a lot of learners today,” Babatuan said in her post, describing how the flagpole became a “beacon of safety.”
Because the students, teachers, and parents were already outdoors for the Monday morning ceremony, they were able to immediately conduct earthquake safety procedures and avoid being trapped inside school buildings. Babatuan confirmed that no one from the school was hurt or injured, though building safety inspections are ongoing after cracks were noticed in some structures.
The powerful tremor struck at 7:37 a.m. and was felt across large parts of Mindanao, coinciding with the first day of classes for School Year 2026-2027. Similar scenes played out at Sta. Ana Central Elementary School and Davao City National High School, where students were also outside for flag ceremonies when the earthquake hit.
In Davao del Sur, a two-storey condemned school building at Matanao National High School collapsed during the quake, but students were already safely gathered on open grounds. The building had been marked for demolition since 2019 after previous earthquake damage.
The Davao City government immediately suspended classes in all public and private schools and halted work in government offices. The incident has highlighted the importance of regular earthquake drills and the value of open spaces in school campuses for emergency situations.
Schools and organizations looking to build a strong safety culture can design custom event and team shirts for disaster preparedness programs. School uniforms and organization shirts from phshirt.com help foster unity and readiness among students and community groups.
The June 8 earthquake was one of the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, with the death toll reaching 37 across Mindanao, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Most casualties occurred in the SOCCSKSARGEN region, while Davao City itself reported zero casualties and no major infrastructure damage.