Strong earthquakes jolt Cagayan Valley, Cordillera

A red dot marks the epicenter of the magnitude 5.1 earthquake that hit the sea off Cagayan on Wednesday morning, August 30, 2017. PHIVOLCS IMAGE

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Calayan Island in Cagayan Valley region on Wednesday morning, followed by a 4-magnitude quake in the Cordillera region, government volcanologists said.

Residents of Calayan in Cagayan province reported experiencing a 10-second jolt at past 6 a.m. but it did not leave any damage, said Benjamin Bangayan, acting chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in Cagayan Valley.

Philvolcs instruments registered a 5.1-magnitude quake, the epicenter of which was traced to tectonic movements of the Philippine Sea plate, 33 kilometers northwest of Calayan.

“The good thing about these movements is that they help ease off the tectonic pressure that is supposed to build up over time. So we have been having these small movements rather than a big strong earthquake,” Bangayan said.

The quake registered Intensity III in Sanchez Mira town in Cagayan province, and Intensity II in Laoag City and Vigan City.

A 4-magnitude quake struck Sagada town in Mountain Province at 11:40 a.m. It was also felt in Baguio City, prompting one school to evacuate its students.

Afternoon classes in all levels were canceled in Bontoc, the Mountain Province capital, by Mayor Franklin Odsey. —Melvin Gascon