Newly installed Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy extended his condolences to families who lost loved ones in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu late Tuesday.
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“My condolences to all who lost their loved ones because of the earthquake. May the Lord grant you strength and hope,” Uy said in a statement.
The archbishop called on communities to remain united in prayer and mutual support as they recover from the disaster.
“In times of hardship, let us all unite in prayer and mutual help,” he said.
The quake, which struck at 9:59 p.m. with the epicenter about 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, left at least 60 people dead, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tremor had a shallow depth of five kilometers, making it widely felt across the Visayas, as well as parts of Mindanao and the Bicol region.
Several churches were damaged, prompting the Archdiocese of Cebu to suspend their use until structural assessments are completed.
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In an advisory, the archdiocese directed parishes in hard-hit areas to refrain from celebrating Mass inside their churches until engineers declare the buildings safe.
It also ordered inspections of all churches and rectories in the archdiocese.
“Refrain from using your churches until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and declared the structures safe for use,” it added.
