Employees ordered out of buildings as quake rocks Ilocos

Imee Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LAOAG CITY, Philippines — Gov. Imee Marcos ordered employees at the provincial capitol and other government buildings here to move out of their offices as a precaution after a magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook the province on Monday afternoon.

Marcos, who was on the second floor of her office at the Tabacalera building here when the earthquake struck at 1:56 p.m., said an advisory from Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of aftershocks so the employees were asked to leave their offices in the meantime.

Phivolcs said the quake’s epicenter was located 29 km southwest of Burgos town.

The quake was felt at Intensity 5 in the neighboring town of Pasuquin and at Intensity 4 in Sarrat, Paoay and Laoag City. It was reported at  Intensity 3 in Sinait town in Ilocos Sur province and Intensity 2 in Santa town, also in Ilocos Sur.

Phivolcs said it did not expect expect earthquake-related damage in the province but some residents in Burgos town reported that they noticed  minor cracks on the walls of their houses.

Monday’s earthquake came a day after a magnitude 3 earthquake jolted Laoag City at 3:51 p.m. on Sunday.

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