Magnitude 6.3 earthquake leaves no major damage in Batangas town
Batangas map. INQUIRER FILES
LUCENA CITY — The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that jolted Calatagan town in Batangas on Thursday left no major damage in the province.
Dan Badong, public information officer of the Calatagan disaster risk reduction and management office, said personnel from the municipal engineering department conducted a thorough inspection and assessment of critical infrastructures after the earthquake and found no significant damage.
He added that they had yet to receive reports of any injuries to residents in the town’s 25 barangays.
“It’s back to normal again. School classes resumed this morning,” Badong said in a phone interview Friday morning.
He said local authorities would conduct follow-up inspections to ensure the safety of the structures.
Badong attributed the safety of the townsfolk to the conduct of regular earthquake drills.
“It was noticeable that the people followed the basic duck, cover, hold safety protocols during the earthquake,” he said.
The government has been conducting simultaneous earthquake drills across the country every year to help the public prepare for earthquakes.
“Since the town is prone to earthquakes, our residents are always ready,” he explained.
On July 24, 2021, the town was jolted by a 6.6 earthquake. It was followed by a 5.7 quake on Aug. 13; a 5.2 tremor on Oct. 8; and another 5.3 on Dec. 13 of the same year.
The town is located 71 kilometers from Batangas City and 129 kilometers from Metro Manila.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said Batangas is one of the most seismically active areas in the Philippines, generated mainly by the Lubang Fault, located between Mindoro Island and Batangas.
On Thursday, Phivolcs recorded a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Calatagan.
The earthquake, which struck at 10:19 a.m. had a depth of 119 kilometers, while its epicenter was traced some 15 kilometers southwest of the town, according to state seismologists.
The quake of tectonic origin was also felt at Intensity 4 in Manila, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Malolos, parts of Batangas such as Batangas City, Ibaan, Lemery, Nasugbu and Talisay, as well as Dasmariñas City and Tagaytay in Cavite, and Tanay in Rizal. INQ
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