The Philippine Army has deployed Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) units to deliver emergency relief goods, potable water, and food supplies to communities isolated by landslides and the destruction caused by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Davao Occidental and Sarangani, according to an official statement released by the Philippine Army on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
The relief operations, coordinated between the Philippine Army and the Philippine Air Force, have reached dozens of remote barangays in Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental and multiple localities in Sarangani province. More than 600 families have already received assistance since operations began, with airlift missions running from June 11 to June 15, 2026.
600 Families Receive Emergency Water Supply in Sarangani
Among the most critical early interventions was the deployment of the Army's Mobile Water Purification Station in Sitio Linao, Barangay Tinoto, Maasim, Sarangani. The unit distributed approximately 190 gallons of clean, potable water to around 600 displaced families in the area, addressing urgent public health needs in a community cut off from regular water infrastructure.
Access to clean water is considered a priority need in the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake, particularly in areas where ground movement and landslides have disrupted local water supply systems. The mobile purification station allows Army units to produce potable water on-site without relying on pre-packaged supplies alone.
Army responders also assisted in the distribution of relief goods donated by civilian volunteers to displaced families in Barangay Butulan, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, according to the same Philippine Army statement.
Airlift Operations Deliver Nearly 5,000 Food Packs to Cut-Off Barangays
Working in close coordination with the Philippine Air Force, Army HADR teams airlifted and distributed food packs, rice, bottled water, and other essential supplies to communities in some of the most difficult-to-reach areas affected by the earthquake.
Target communities for the airlift operations included Barangays Molmol, Quiapo, San Isidro, and Sitio Makina of Barangay Kalbay in Jose Abad Santos, as well as Barangay E. Alegado in Glan, Sarangani — all areas where road access remained severely hampered or completely blocked due to landslides triggered by the powerful quake.
From June 11 to June 15, airlift operations facilitated the delivery of the following relief items, according to the Philippine Army:
- Approximately 4,925 food packs
- 800 five-kilogram rice packs
- 3,400 bottles of water
- 400 boxes of assorted relief goods
- 100 containers of 20-liter potable water
- 40 cases of six-liter bottled water
The volume of goods delivered underscores the scale of the relief effort now underway, as authorities race to reach affected residents before the window for immediate disaster response narrows in the days and weeks following the earthquake.
Ground Convoys Move Supplies from General Santos City
In addition to airlift missions, Army ground teams facilitated the movement of approximately 400 boxes of relief goods overland from General Santos City to affected communities in the disaster zone. Soldiers assisted with the loading and unloading of supplies at key distribution points throughout the affected areas.
Army personnel also supported the handling and distribution of assistance delivered by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) through the General Santos City International Airport, according to the Philippine Army's statement. The airport has served as a critical logistics hub for relief operations given the limited road access in many affected areas.
The coordination between military logistics teams and civilian agencies has been essential in ensuring supplies reach their intended recipients efficiently and without duplication or gaps in coverage.
Search, Rescue, and Retrieval in Landslide Zones
Beyond the distribution of relief goods, Philippine Army HADR units have also been engaged in active search, rescue, and retrieval operations in landslide-hit areas within the earthquake zone. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake triggered significant ground movement across mountainous portions of Davao Occidental and Sarangani, burying portions of communities and blocking critical road access routes.
Landslides are among the most lethal secondary hazards following a major earthquake in the Philippines, particularly in highland and mountainous regions where the seismic activity destabilizes soil and rock on steep slopes. The Army's search and retrieval teams have been deployed alongside other first-responder units to clear affected sites and account for missing residents.
As of the Philippine Army's most recent update, operations in landslide-affected areas were still ongoing, with teams working to access communities that remain difficult to reach by both land and air.
Multi-Agency Coordination Sustains Relief Delivery
The Philippine Army's HADR teams are working in close coordination with national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to sustain the delivery of essential aid and assistance to quake-affected communities, according to the Army's official statement released through its communications channels on June 17, 2026.
The multi-agency structure of the relief operation reflects standard disaster response protocols under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) framework, which designates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the lead agency for relief distribution, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) providing logistics and operational support.
The Philippine Air Force's involvement in airlift operations has been particularly critical given the terrain of the affected provinces, where remote communities accessible only by air or foot have been among the hardest hit and the slowest to receive assistance.
7.8-Magnitude Quake Devastates Davao Occidental and Sarangani
The earthquake, registering at a powerful magnitude 7.8, struck Davao Occidental and affected portions of Sarangani province, triggering widespread destruction, landslides, and the displacement of thousands of residents across multiple barangays. The quake cut off several remote communities from road access and disrupted local infrastructure, making the delivery of humanitarian assistance a logistically complex undertaking.
Davao Occidental is a largely rural province in the Davao Region of Mindanao, bordered by the Celebes Sea to the west. Sarangani province, located to the east of Davao Occidental, shares a similar geography of coastal lowlands and inland mountain ranges that are particularly vulnerable to landslide hazards during seismic events.
The towns of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental and Maasim and Glan in Sarangani were among the communities identified in official Philippine Army reports as receiving priority attention in the current relief operation, given the severity of displacement and the difficulty of access in those areas.
Ongoing Operations to Continue in Coming Days
The Philippine Army has indicated that its HADR operations in the earthquake-affected zones will continue in the coming days as authorities work to account for all displaced and affected residents, complete the distribution of initial relief supplies, and transition toward more sustained recovery-phase assistance.
Further updates on the scope of the relief operations, the total number of affected families, and the status of ongoing search and retrieval efforts are expected from the Philippine Army, the Office of Civil Defense, and the NDRRMC as operations progress.
Members of the public wishing to donate or provide support for earthquake survivors in Davao Occidental and Sarangani are encouraged to coordinate with the DSWD or their local government units to ensure that donations are properly channeled to those in need.
Photo credit: Photos courtesy of the Philippine Army