2 Laguna schools suspend classes as earthquake jolts Southern Tagalog provinces

SAN PEDRO CITY–A 4.5-magnitude earthquake rocked several towns and cities in the provinces of Laguna, Batangas and Cavite early Wednesday, although local governments and disaster response officials did not report any casualty or damage to infrastructure.

In Los Baños town in Laguna, where the earthquake’s epicenter was traced, the Los Baños National High School and a private Christian school inside Umali Subdivision suspended their afternoon classes on Wednesday following the earthquake, according to Janos Lapiz, village chief of Batong Malake.

Lapiz said the suspension would allow municipal engineers to inspect school buildings.

“There are no visible damages (on roads, bridges and buildings) but the mayor already sent engineers to inspect [these],” he said in a telephone interview.

Several Facebook users from Los Baños said they felt the ground shaking past 9 a.m., some describing it as “strong.”

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the earthquake was felt at Intensity IV in Los Baños and Alaminos in Laguna; and Malvar town and Tanauan City in Batangas.

In Laguna, Rommel Palacol of the provincial government’s action center said disaster response personnel were conducting a survey in Los Baños and Alaminos areas to check for any earthquake-related damage.

Georgina Garcia, spokesperson of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), said the earthquake was also felt in elevated areas, like Tagaytay City in Cavite province.

In Batangas, Lito Castro of the provincial DRRMC said residents in Sto. Tomas town also reported ground shaking.

Phivolcs recorded the quake at Intensity III in the towns of San Rafael and Sto. Tomas and Lipa City, and Intensity II in Cuenca town. RJLA