On 8 June 2026 at 7:37 a.m. local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao, the Philippines. The earthquake, caused by subduction along the Cotabato Trench, had its epicenter 32 kilometres west of Maasim, Sarangani Province, at a depth of 33 kilometres. A tsunami warning was issued for several southern Mindanao provinces and later lifted the same day. As of the latest reports, 45 people were confirmed dead and 487 injured. Sarangani Province and General Santos City were among the hardest-hit areas, experiencing Intensity VII (“destructive”) ground shaking.

The earthquake occurred on the opening day of School Year 2026–2027, significantly affecting the education sector. The Department of Education (DepEd) suspended classes in more than 8,200 schools. Initial assessments identified damage to 267 public schools across 14 provinces, affecting at least 1,391 classrooms. DepEd has since allocated funding for 130 temporary learning spaces and deployed guidance counsellors to provide psychological first aid to learners and staff.

The Six Princess Maha Chakri Awardees of the Philippines

Since 2015, six Filipino teachers have received the Princess Maha Chakri Award. Two have served on the island of Mindanao, near the epicentral region: the late Mr. William Egot Moraca (2015 Awardee) of General Santos City, and Dr. Sadat B. Minandang (2019 Awardee) of Cotabato City. The remaining four awardees serve well outside the affected zone: Dr. Jesus C. Insilada (2017) of Caninguan National High School, Iloilo Province, Panay Island; Mr. Marcelo T. Otinguey (2021) of the Governor Bado Dangwa Agro-Industrial School, Benguet; Mr. Jerwin O. Valencia (2023) of Dingras National High School, Ilocos Norte; and Mrs. Lea Domingo (2025) of Luzong Elementary School, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte — all located on Luzon and Panay, more than a thousand kilometres from the epicentre.

General Santos City — The Enduring Legacy of Mr. William Moraca (2015 Princess Maha Chakri Awardee)

General Santos City sustained the most severe urban damage. The city was placed under a state of calamity after earthquake-related deaths were recorded, alongside damage to 26 structures including five school buildings. This city was the lifelong workplace of the late William Moraca, the Philippines’ first Princess Maha Chakri Awardee, who served as head teacher overseeing Klolang Elementary School and Datal Salvan Elementary School in Barangay San Jose — highland communities of the B’laan and T’boli peoples situated around Mt. Parker and overlooking Sarangani Bay, the very coastline nearest the earthquake’s epicentre. (Source INQUIRER.net, Philstar.com)

Although Teacher Moraca has passed away, his work continues to serve these communities. He engineered a water-delivery system that brought stream water up to the community and its schools at a rate of 1.2 litres per second, sparing residents a walk of several kilometres to fetch water, and modified solar panels to power classrooms and donated computers in schools without electricity. The Foundation extends its heartfelt solidarity to his family, former students, and the school communities carrying his legacy forward in this affected region. (Source Press Reader GoodNews Pilipinas)

Cotabato City — Dr. Sadat B. Minandang (2019 Princess Maha Chakri Awardee)

In Cotabato City, where the tremor was strongly felt, students at schools including Cotabato City Central Pilot Elementary School evacuated as the ground shook — coinciding with earthquake drills being conducted for the start of the school year — and the city government suspended classes at all levels. Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who was in Cotabato City when the earthquake struck, noted that the city did not appear as badly hit as other areas, though classes were suspended as a precaution. INQUIRER.netPhilippine News Agency

Fortunately, Dr. Sadat’s school, Lugay-Lugay Central School under the Cotabato City Schools Division is slightly damaged. However, based on our initial assessment, all students in the school require psychosocial support, as well as selected teachers, and families in the community need psychological support. On 10 June 2026, Dr. Sadat gathered all 41 teachers in his school and conducted an orientation on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Interventions. They will then provide psychosocial support to all our learners through classroom-based activities. This will be conducted simultaneously for over 1,500 learners in his school including Indigenous learners supported in Byaheng Kaalaman Project.

Dr. Sadat B. Minandang, the 2019 Awardee, began his teaching career at Amirol Elementary School in 2013 and now serves as school principal of Lugay-Lugay Central School under the Cotabato City Schools Division of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). He is the founder of “Byaheng Kaalaman” (Journey of Knowledge), which grew from his “Tulak Kaalaman” pushcart mobile classroom bringing books and school supplies to out-of-school children in marginalised communities. The project’s third phase, funded by the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation, enabled dozens of out-of-school Bajao children to enrol in formal schooling. His dedication earned him a place among the Top 50 finalists of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize. BARMM Official Website + 3

The Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation expresses its deepest concern for the teachers, learners, and education personnel in the affected areas, and is coordinating through the Royal Thai Embassy in the Philippines, and the awardees to monitor the situation and consider appropriate channels of support.