Antique and Cagayan experience minor earthquakes

Antique and Cagayan are hit by minor earthquakes on Friday, December 1, 2023. (Map from Phivolcs)

MANILA, Philippines — Three earthquakes were recorded by state seismologists on Friday.

Two were in Antique and one was in Cagayan.

According to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the temblors are all tectonic in origin and are not expected to cause damage or aftershocks.

The first quake occurred in Belison, Antique at 9:10 a.m.

It was magnitude 3.4 and it had a one-kilometer depth of focus.

Intensity III was felt in San Remigio, and Intensity II was felt in Valderrama, both in Antique.

Instrumental Intensity I was detected in San Jose de Buenavista, also in Antique.

Earthquake intensities are based on the ground motion felt by people in the affected area, while instrumental intensities are the quake’s strength measured by an intensity meter or scale.

A second tremor shook the same province on Friday.

A magnitude 3 quake happened in San Remigio at 9:17 a.m., wherein Intensity II was felt.

It had a 17-kilometer depth of focus.

Phivolcs said the ground motion in San Remigio is not an aftershock of the earthquake in Belison.

Meanwhile, the third tremor shook Gonzaga, Cagayan at 1:16 p.m.

It was measured at magnitude 3.1 and it had a 25-kilometer depth of focus.

Instrumental Intensity I was recorded on the tremor’s location.

Under the agency’s earthquake classifications, all three events are considered “minor earthquakes” as their magnitudes are in the range of 3 to 3.9.