SHOCKWAVES RETURN: Quakes jolt MSU-GSC founding anniversary, intramurals opening, echoing 2023 tremor

Two years ago, the university was shaken—literally—on its 50th Foundation Anniversary and Intramurals 2023 Opening. This year, the ground moved again, not once but twice, as Mindanao State University–General Santos City marked its 52nd Anniversary and Intramurals 2025, October 10.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake jolted Mindanao at 9:43 a.m., with its epicenter located 48 kilometers northeast of Manay, Davao Oriental, at a depth of 23 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

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Later in the evening, a magnitude 6.9 aftershock prompted students and staff to vacate campus buildings at around 7:12 p.m., just minutes after the opening ceremony concluded.

The quakes were felt at a moderate intensity in General Santos City and across other parts of the SOCCSKSARGEN region.

Moreover, the incident recalled the quake that coincided with the 50th-year celebration in 2023, also after the Intramurals 2023 opening ceremony.

In an interview with Bagwis, BS Nursing student J. Angelo Lumen shared that he and his blockmates were at the ABE Complex when the morning quake struck.

He admitted that the idea of postponing the Intramurals briefly crossed his mind, but expressed relief that the event pushed through as planned.

“Fortunately, it did not happen [the postponement], and we still enjoyed our first day of intramurals despite the circumstances that happened today,” Lumen said.

Meanwhile, Ronzel Nicole Flores, a fourth-year BSBA Business Economics student, shared that she was in a thesis consultation with their adviser at the College of Business Administration and Accountancy when the quake occurred.

“We were inside the dean's office having a consultation for our thesis. Tong nagsugod tong linog, kulbaan jud mi sobra. Nagawas mi dali-dali, and thank God we came out alive. Thankfully, there were very few people sa whole building that time,” Flores recalled.

Furthermore, Lynxter Gybriel Leaño, also a fourth-year student, recalled the 2023 quake that occurred after the Intramurals Opening, noting how the recent tremor felt like a repeat of that experience.

“During the quake in 2023, we went outside our office—which was previously beside the old security office—carrying our food in paper plates as we were having dinner that time. Now, we found ourselves vacating our office again here at STTC, carrying laptops and food as some of the staff are working and some are having dinner,’’ Leaño said.

As of posting, there were no reported casualties within the campus.