A powerful earthquake that struck Cebu province in the central Philippines on Tuesday night has killed at least 72 people and injured 200, the Philippines' Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Wednesday.
As rescue operations continue, survivors in the worst-hit city of Bogo are confronting widespread power outages, destroyed homes, and overwhelmed medical facilities.
Many residents have been forced to sleep outdoors in tents or their vehicles, gathering in open spaces to collect relief supplies as darkness fell.
In affected neighborhoods, houses sustained severe damage as terraces collapsed, and wooden and sheet-metal structures were destroyed. Some residents remained in their damaged homes despite the danger.
Fear of aftershocks and structural damage forced the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo to move bed-bound patients outside to receive treatment, including intravenous drips and oxygen, in the parking lot. The hospital is also functioning as a coordination center for rescue operations and casualty reporting.
Early on Wednesday, military vehicles carrying critical aid arrived in the affected areas of Cebu, delivering much-needed supplies to the devastated communities.
Philippines earthquake kills 72, leaves survivors facing blackouts, damaged homes
A record number of Americans left the United States last year, with data from the Brookings Institution showing between 210,000 and 405,000 people voluntarily moved overseas, marking the first time in at least half a century that more departed than arrived.
For decades, the U.S. was seen as a place to pursue a better life, often called "The American Dream." But surveys suggest many now see their future elsewhere.
A Gallup poll found about 20 percent of Americans would like to move abroad, while the Association of American Residents Overseas estimates 5.5 million Americans were already living overseas in 2024, a figure that has since grown.
Jen Barnett, an expat planning coach, said that she had always wanted to live abroad. She moved to Merida, Mexico a decade ago.
"I knew that there was life beyond Huffman, Alabama, and I wanted to see what was out there. In 2016 after the [presidential] election, I said, okay, let's do this," she said.
In 2022 she co-founded Expatsi, a company that helps Americans relocate. She says interest has surged since U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to a second term in 2024.
"It is not as simple as one politician. I think it is the realization that the U.S. is not what we thought it was and a feeling that the social contract has been broken," she said.
Mexico remains the most common destination, followed by Canada. Increasingly, expats are also choosing Uruguay, Costa Rica and Panama in Latin America, as well as Germany and Portugal in Europe.
Many cite crime and gun violence at home, while seeking lower living costs and affordable healthcare abroad.
"The amount of money that you need to retire is millions in the U.S. to guarantee that you can have health care, god forbid you need assisted living, which might cost 10,000 or 15,000 U.S. dollars a month. In a place like Portugal, you could have full-time live-in care for 2,000 dollars a month," she said.
Remote work and technology have made relocation easier, though language barriers, cultural differences and bureaucracy remain challenges.
"Most of the challenges that you face are internal. I think people just need to see others doing it," she said.
Many expats hold visas or dual citizenship, but growing numbers are making the move permanent.
Before 2009, only 200 to 400 Americans renounced their citizenship each year. In 2025, that figure was just under 5,000, with a backlog of about 30,000 awaiting appointments to formally give up their U.S. citizenship.
Record number of Americans moving abroad amid rising cost and discontent
