THE COUNTRY had been preparing for the so-called ‘The Big One’ but much stronger earthquake rocked a big swath of Mindanao.
In a report issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) a magnitude 7.8 tremor hit a huge chunk of Sarangani province on Monday morning.
Located at the coastal part of Sarangani Bay, Phivolcs also issued a tsunami warning which sent residents scampering to higher grounds.
Interestingly, the government has been bragging on what is referred to as contingency plan designed to cushion the adverse effects of a Magnitude 7.2 earthquake should boulders underneath the West Valley Fault — traversing Metro Manila and adjoining provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Bulacan, start moving.
In its initial advisory, Phivolcs warned of an imminent tsunami following the what was initially referred to as magnitude 7.2 temblor recorded at 7:37 AM.
But in the second advisory, Phivolcs upgraded the magnitude to 7.8 with a depth of 33 kilometers west of Maasim, Sarangani.
In Tsunami Information No. 1, Phivolcs warned coastal communities in affected areas may experience tsunami waves more than one meter above normal tide levels or even higher in enclosed bays and straits.
The agency said they were expecting the first tsunami waves to arrive between 7:37 AM and 9:37 AM.
The provinces placed under the tsunami warning are: Sarangani; Davao Occidental; Tawi-Tawi; Sulu; Basilan; Zamboanga del Sur; Zamboanga Sibugay; Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato.
Residents living in coastal areas of the affected provinces were told to evacuate immediately to higher ground or farther inland as a precautionary measure.
Phivolcs also urged owners of boats in harbors, estuaries, and shallow coastal waters in the affected areas to secure their vessels and stay away from the waterfront.
No sail policy also took effect until further instructions.
Local government units and disaster response agencies have been directed to closely monitor the situation and ensure the safety of residents in vulnerable coastal communities.
GMA 7’s dzBB reported that aftershocks are still being felt in different provinces. The power supply and the internet were also down in some areas.
The shuddering of the ground was felt across Mindanao.
Intensity VII – General Santos City
Intensity VI – Palimbang, and Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat
Intensity V – Davao City; City of Kidapawan, and Carmen, Cotabato; Bagumbayan, Kalamansig, and President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat; Sibuco, and Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte
Intensity IV – City of Mati, Davao Oriental; Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay; Caraga, Manay, and Tarragona, Davao Oriental
Intensity III – Butuan City; Mainit, Surigao del Norte; City of Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte; Kumalarang, Vincenzo Sagun, Zamboanga del Sur
Intensity II – City of Dipolog, Labason, Liloy, President Manuel A. Roxas, and Salug Zamboanga del Norte; Alicia, Ipil, Mabuhay, Olutanga, and Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay; Molave, Zamboanga del Sur; Abuyog, and Dulag, Leyte; San Francisco, Southern Leyte
Intensity VIII – Malapatan, Sarangani
Intensity VII – City of Koronadal, Sarangani; Santa Maria, Davao Occidental
Intensity VI – General Santos City; T’boli, South Cotabato
Intensity V – Maasim, Sarangani; Santo Niño, and Surallah, South Cotabao; Isulan, Lebak, and President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat; Davao City; City of Digos, and Magsaysay, Davao de Sur
Intensity IV – Kiamba, Malungon, Sarangani; Banga, and Tupi, South Cotabato; Magpet, and M’lang, Cotabato; Bagumbayan, and Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat; Nabunturan, Davao de Oro; Zamboanga City
Intensity III – Tantangan, South Cotabato; Columbio, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat; Alamada, Banisilan, Carmen, President Roxas, Cotabato; Kalilangan, Bukidnon; City of Gingoog, Misamis Oriental
Intensity II – Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur; Tubod, Lanao del Norte; City of Malaybalay, and Libona, Bukidnon; Molave, Zamboanga del Sur; Cagayan de Oro City; Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte; Balingasag, Misamis Oriental
Intensity I – Malitbog, Bukidnon; Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental
As of this writing, authorities have yet reported casualties. The Office of Civil Defense however confimed significant damage to various infrastructure facilities, while electricity and communication services are down in several areas.
First the past 10 years, Mindanao has been hit by a series of strong earthquakes — the most significant of which include the tremor which took place in October 2019, the Magnitude 6.5 and 6.6 events that struck Tulunan, Cotabato, and surrounding areas. These quakes are often remembered for their Intensity VII (Destructive) rating on the PhiVolcs Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS).
The most feared quakes in 2019 were:
October 16, 2019 (M6.3) which hit Kidapawan/Tulunan, causing panic and damage to hospitals and schools.
October 29, 2019 (M6.6) which struck with Intensity VII in Kidapawan, Cotabato, and Davao del Sur, causing widespread structural collapse.
October 31, 2019 (M6.5) which struck the same area again, further destroying homes and infrastructure, including the collapse of a building in Kidapawan.
December 15, 2019 (M6.9) which hit Davao del Sur, shaking houses violently.
2020 Masbate Earthquake (M6.6), which caused a 50-km long fault rupture and was strongly felt throughout the region.
2019 Central Luzon Earthquake (M6.1) which affected Pampanga and the National Capital Region, causing the tragic collapse of a supermarket.
The 2019 Mindanao quakes were particularly terrifying because residents were experiencing constant, severe aftershocks while trying to recover from the previous major shock.