No injury, damage so far in Batangas after magnitude 6.3 quake

SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Southern Luzon and Metro Manila early on Christmas Day, although no injury or damage has so far been reported.

Batangas Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Lito Castro also said there is very little chance the earthquake could trigger a tsunami on the western coast of the province.

“(The earthquake originated) in the sea, between Calatagan (Batangas) and Mindoro (islands),” he said in a phone interview.

Yet Castro said they were still assessing the municipalities and cities for any quake-related reports.

The strongest in the series of tremors on Friday was recorded at magnitude 6.3 at 7:43 a.m. in Calatagan and was felt as far as Laguna province and Metro Manila, where residents reported their doors and furniture swaying.

At least four aftershocks of magnitudes 2 to 3.2 in Calatagan were recorded as of 8:29 a.m.