In a remarkable display of faith and resilience, the Blessed Sacrament and the image of Sta. Rosa de Lima were found undamaged inside the partially collapsed Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, Cebu. The church sustained significant damage after a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck the province on Tuesday night, September 30, 2025.
The earthquake, which occurred at 9:59 p.m. with its epicenter located 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, caused widespread fear and prompted evacuations in coastal communities. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported instrumental intensities of Intensity VI in Cebu City and Villaba, Leyte, while Intensity III was felt in San Fernando, Cebu, and Intensity II in Laoang, Northern Samar.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima, a centuries-old church built in 1886 during the Spanish colonization era, suffered significant damage from the earthquake. Despite the partial collapse, parishioners described the preservation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Retablo image of Sta. Rosa as a “miracle amid tragedy”.
The Archdiocese of Cebu issued an appeal to Catholics nationwide to pray for the affected communities, especially those in Daanbantayan, Medellin, Bogo City, and San Remigio. The local government has placed Daanbantayan under a state of calamity as response teams assess the full extent of the destruction ¹.
Emergency response teams have been deployed to conduct rapid damage assessments, particularly in rural mountainous areas where landslides remain a concern. Scientists emphasize the importance of earthquake-preparedness programs in vulnerable communities across the archipelago, given the Philippines’ position within the Pacific Ring of Fire.
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