Survivors sleep in plastic bags under the rain, displaced after Cebu quake

Families in Medellin town huddle under plastic bags at night, shivering in the rain after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake displaced them.

About 15 aftershocks surfaced driving residents away from their damaged homes and into improvised camps on roadsides, schoolyards, and open fields.

With tents still scarce, survivors cut tarpaulins and cling to plastic sacks to protect themselves against heavy rain and the cold night air.

Some families avoid evacuation centers, saying they are too far from their homes and fearing possible tsunami risks in coastal areas.

“Wala me ni-evacuate sa center since layo me. Din pag linog kay automatic nag-blackout, so our plan kay mo-saka mig bukid para safe sa tsunami,” one resident with Facebook user Arg De Real, who owns the photos, said to CDN Digital.

(We didn’t evacuate to the center since it’s far. When the earthquake happened, there was a blackout, so our plan was to go up the mountain to be safe from a tsunami.)

Survivors added they’re in need of food, clean water, and safe shelter as they face long nights of uncertainty under fragile coverings.

“We need water and food, or food that’s ready-to-eat. And if ever there are tents or campaign tents, that’ll do,” the resident added.

Residents also addressed allegations of disinformation by saying photos of them sleeping in plastic bags reflect their real conditions and not fabricated claims.

“Ang tabang ihatag nalang na sa tanan nganu mangayo paman ug prof uy nga tanan naapiktuhan man. Naa nasad ta ani,” another resident added.

(Help should be given directly to everyone, why is there still a need for proof that we were affected?)

Local governments in Cebu City, Talisay, and the province have launched donation drives, calling for tents, ready-to-eat meals, and bottled water for quake-hit towns.

While relief groups and volunteers are delivering aid, residents say much of it has yet to reach remote and hardest-hit areas.

The tremor struck northern Cebu on September 30, leaving at least 72 dead and displacing thousands in communities across Bogo City, San Remigio, Medellin, Tabogon, and Sogod.