50 Years After Moro Gulf Tragedy, Lebak Looks Forward with New Tsunami Marker

NEWS | On the exact 50th anniversary of the deadliest natural disaster in Philippine history, a historic commemorative tsunami marker was officially unveiled today, August 17, 2026, at the Provincial Capitol Extension in Barangay Tibpuan, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.

The ceremonial event marks the installation of the very first commemorative marker on the eastern coast of the Moro Gulf and Celebes Sea. This critical coastline bore the brunt of the devastating 9-meter-high tsunami triggered by a massive magnitude 8.1 earthquake on August 17, 1976, which left an estimated 8,000 people dead or missing across Mindanao.

Spearheaded by the DOST-PHIVOLCS Official Page alongside the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat and the Municipal Government of Lebak, the monument serves as a dual symbol of remembrance and active risk reduction. The marker explicitly pays tribute to the survivors, first responders, scientists, government institutions, local communities, international partners, and media organizations who contributed to life-saving operations and recovery efforts five decades ago.

The unveiling kicks off a two-day collaborative campaign by state seismologists and local governments to roll out updated disaster preparedness toolkits, local sourcebooks, and interactive exhibits at the Barangay Aurelio F. Freires Sr. Gymnasium to educate the next generation against future geological hazards.

Courtesy: DOST-PHIVOLCS