Magnitude 6.3 earthquake jolts Calatagan, Batangas

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Calatagan, Batangas on Thursday morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The earthquake, earlier recorded at magnitude 6.2 and was tectonic in origin, occurred at 10:19 a.m. Its epicenter was located 15 kilometers southwest of Calatagan.

The quake, which also had a depth of 119 kilometers, was felt in parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Erlington Olavere, a specialist from PHIVOLCS' seismology department, said because of the depth, the quake would be felt mostly in high- and medium-rise buildings.

"Normally mas ramdam ito sa mga high-rise at saka mga medium-rise buildings, ‘yung mga nasa upper floor. So sila ‘yung medyo mas makakaramdam against doon sa mga nasa ground floor," he said.

(Normally, this is felt at high-rise and medium-rise buildings, those at the upper floors. So they will normally feel this compared to those on the ground floor.)

Intensities

According to PHIVOLCS, the quake was felt in the following areas:

• Intensity IV - CITY OF MANILA; CITY OF MANDALUYONG; QUEZON CITY; CITY OF VALENZUELA; City of Malolos, BULACAN; Batangas City, Ibaan, Lemery, Nasugbu, and Talisay, BATANGAS; City of Dasmariñas, and City of Tagaytay, CAVITE; Tanay, RIZAL
• Intensity III - PATEROS; CITY OF LAS PIÑAS; CITY OF MAKATI; CITY OF MARIKINA; CITY OF PARAÑAQUE; CITY OF PASIG; Obando, BULACAN; Laurel, BATANGAS; City of Bacoor, and City of Imus, CAVITE; City of San Pablo, and City of San Pedro, LAGUNA; San Mateo, RIZAL
• Intensity II - CITY OF CALOOCAN; CITY OF SAN JUAN; CITY OF MUNTINLUPA; City of San Fernando, LA UNION; City of Alaminos, and Bolinao, PANGASINAN; Santa Maria, BULACAN; Bamban, TARLAC
• Intensity I - City of San Jose Del Monte, BULACAN

Instrumental Intensities were also recorded in the following areas:

• Intensity IV - Abucay, BATAAN; Lemery, BATANGAS; Malolos City, and San Ildefonso, BULACAN; Magallanes, Tagaytay City, CAVITE; San Jose, OCCIDENTAL MINDORO; Calapan City, and Puerto Galera, ORIENTAL MINDORO; San Antonio, Olongapo City, Cabangan, ZAMBALES
• Intensity III - Dinalupihan, Mariveles, BATAAN; Batangas City, Sta. Teresita, Cuenca, Bauan, Talisay, Laurel, and San Luis, BATANGAS; Paombong, Guiguinto, Marilao, and Pulilan, BULACAN; Bacoor City, Carmona, Ternate, Naic, CAVITE; Las Pinas, Malabon City, Pasig City, METRO MANILA; Cabanatuan City, NUEVA ECIJA; Abra De Ilog, OCCIDENTAL MINDORO; Roxas, ORIENTAL MINDORO; Guagua, PAMPANGA; Mauban, QUEZON; Tanay, RIZAL; San Marcelino, Subic, ZAMBALES
• Intensity II - Baler, AURORA; Rosario, Malvar, BATANGAS; Angat, Obando, Norzagaray, Santa Maria, BULACAN; Calamba, and San Pablo, LAGUNA; San Juan City, Pasay, and Quezon City, METRO MANILA; San Antonio, NUEVA ECIJA; Victoria, ORIENTAL MINDORO; San Fernando, PAMPANGA; Bani, and Infanta, PANGASINAN; Tayabas, Infanta, Lopez, Dolores, and Alabat, QUEZON; Bamban, TARLAC
• Intensity I - Paranaque City, METRO MANILA; San Jose, Gabaldon, and Bongabon, NUEVA ECIJA; Magalang, PAMPANGA; Lingayen, Bolinao, and Urdaneta, PANGASINAN; Mulanay, Lucena City, and Gumaca, QUEZON; Taytay, Antipolo, and Angono, RIZAL; Santa Ignacia, Ramos, and Tarlac City, TARLAC

Damage and aftershocks are expected following the earthquake, according to PHIVOLCS. 

Olavere said no tsunami warning was raised.

Train ops suspended

According to the Department of Transportation on Twitter, the quake was felt at the MRT Command Center at the North Avenue Station in Quezon City, prompting it to advise all trains to stop at nearest stations.

In a separate tweet, the Light Rail Manila Corporation said that as of 10:30 a.m., a stop for safety had been put in place from Baclaran to Roosevelt due to the earthquake.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) likewise suspended the operations of all of its trains in the entire Metro Manila.

LRT, MRT, and PNR operations resumed later in the day. 

Classes, work disrupted

Meanwhile, work and classes in the affected areas were disrupted due to the quake, according to Tina Panganiban-Perez's report on "24 Oras."

Students from Lutucan Integrated National High School in Sariaya, Quezon, immediately left their classrooms due to the quake.

Elementary students in Lipa City, Batangas, likewise evacuated for their safety. 

Employees of GMA Network Inc., the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Social Security System, and Quezon City Hall also went out of their respective establishments. 

The Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) reminded the public of safety measures during earthquakes.

"Unang-una po, don’t panic. Always be in groups at wag po tayong gagamit ng elevator at wag tayong tatamaring bumaba," said Cherry Menguita Gutierrez of QC CDRRMO.

(First of all, avoid panicking. Always be in groups and never use elevators when going down the building.)

"Importante po na doon tayo sa designated evacuation area pupunta para po ma-identify tayo at masigurado po na kumpleto at walang nawawalang empleyado," she said. 

(Go to designated evacuation areas for easier identification. It will also ensure all employees are complete and no one is missing.)

Olavere, meanwhile, advised residents or individuals staying in tall buildings to wait for the advice of their administrators before returning.

"Normally may protocol po ang building administrator. They need to check po 'yung kanilang gusali before magkaroon ng entry or ma-reoccupy once na nag implement po tayo ng evacuation," he said.

(Normally, building administrators have their protocol. They need to check their area before there can be an entry or a reoccupation if they implemented an evacuation.) 

Olavere said the earthquake may be related to the Manila Trench.

Assessments ongoing

In a separate interview, Dr. Amor Calayan the head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Batangas, said assessment is ongoing to determine if the quake had damaged any infrastructure.

"Papunta pa po kami doon sa ngayon [sa Calatagan], on the way kami… sa ngayon tumawag na rin sa municipal DRRMOs at sila po ay naga-assess na rin, ongoing ang assessment nila," she said.

(We are on the way to Calatagan right now… we have called the municipal DRRMOs and their assessment is ongoing.)

"Wala pa naman po silang nakikita na related problems sa earthquake na ito, sa pasilidad, sa mga tao, at sa atin pong kahayupan o mga halaman," she added.

(They have yet to monitor earthquake-related problems at their facilities, people, plants and animals.) 

Calayan said they also have focal persons at schools to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, Lian NDRRMO head Patricio delos Reyes said they have yet to receive reports from individuals possibly affected by the quake. 

Taal Volcano

In a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview, Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum said that while volcanoes do not affect earthquakes, strong earthquakes may have an effect on volcanoes.

Due to this, he said PHIVOLCS should monitor Taal Volcano in Batangas, which is currently under Alert Level 1. 

“Essentially kasi parang ang mangyayari … parang bote ng soft drinks na inalog mo, pwedeng madistorbo ‘yung magma at magkaroon ka ng mga bubbling o di kaya ay may pagkilos ng magma,” said Solidum, a former PHIVOLCS chief. 

(Essentially, what will happen is that it’s as if you shake a bottle of soft drink. The magma may be disturbed, bubbling may occur, or there may be movement of the magma.)

“So yun ang mga binabantayan. So kung may pagkilos ba ng magma o di kaya mas maraming gas na lalabas,” he added.

(So that’s what we’re watching out for, whether there is a movement in the magma or an increase in the volume of gas being emitted.)

“Every time merong malakas na earthquake sa paligid ng Taal… ay talagang tinitignan natin kung may epekto o wala,” he said.

(Every time a strong earthquake strikes near Taal, we check if there is an effect or not.) —Giselle Ombay, Joahna Lei Casilao, and Sundy Locus/KBK/VBL, GMA Integrated News