The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that Thursday’s earthquake in Southern Leyte does not indicate volcanic activity, especially since it had a tectonic origin.

“The earthquake is tectonic in origin. However, the agency will closely monitor earthquakes that may be associated with nearby volcanoes,” the advisory from Phivolcs read.

It added that the nearest active volcano from the quake’s epicenter is Cabalian Volcano, which is located at least 25 kilometers north of San Francisco, Leyte.

In a televised interview, Engr. Angelito Lanuza, the supervising science research scientist of Phivolcs, said that the recent earthquake does not have the capacity to generate a tsunami, even if it occurred offshore.

“The size of 5.8 does not have the capacity to generate a tsunami; we need a magnitude of 6.5 to have a tsunami,” Lanuza said.

Although the Southern Leyte quake occurred offshore, Phivolcs said that the seismic activity did not generate tsunami waves due to the absence of significant vertical displacement of the seafloor.

Last Thursday at 7:39 a.m., a magnitude 5.8 earthquake jolted San Francisco, Southern Leyte, with the intensity of the quake being felt as far as Capiz and Cagayan de Oro in Misamis Oriental.

After the earthquake, several roads were cracked, and rockfalls were observed along the provincial roads of San Francisco and Liloan in Southern Leyte.

In the event of an earthquake, Phivolcs stressed the importance of the “drop, cover and hold” technique to protect yourself from falling debris.

It also recommended consulting local engineers to conduct a thorough inspection of buildings to assess their structural integrity after an earthquake.