9 quakes hit Masbate, Catanduanes

LEGAZPI CITY –– Nine earthquakes struck the two island provinces of Masbate and Catanduanes with magnitudes ranging from 1.8 to 3.3 on Thursday night until Friday evening, a report from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Saturday.

Eduardo Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist based in Albay, said the series of quakes were recorded by Phivolcs instruments mostly in the town of Pio V. Corpuz.

Five of the earthquakes were of tectonic origin with the strongest magnitude at 3.3 on Thursday.

This was followed by another 3.0 magnitude quake at 1:19 a.m. and a series of quakes with magnitudes 2.3 at 1:37 a.m., 2.8 at 1:42 a.m., and 1.8 at 5:39 a.m., all on Friday.

The earthquake bulletin said quakes with tectonic origins were also recorded in Batuan town with 2.3 magnitude at 11:43 p.m. Thursday.

In Mobo town, a tremor with 2.6 magnitude was also recorded at 2:11 a.m. Friday, and another in San Fernando with 2.7 magnitude at 4:38 p.m., also Friday.

In Catanduanes, a 2.7-magnitude quake struck at 10:44 p.m. Friday with epicenter in Pandan town.

Laguerta said in a phone interview that the quakes were caused by movements in the fault lines in Masbate and Catanduanes provinces. (Editor: Leti Boniol)