Baguio City hit by strong quake

BAGUIO CITY — A pair of earthquakes early Thursday morning prompted widespread class and work suspensions across Northern and Central Luzon, with local officials reporting no major damage or casualties.

The strongest tremor, recorded at magnitude 4.8 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), struck at 1:30 a.m. Its epicenter was located 2 kilometers north, 6 degrees east of Pugo, La Union, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.

The shaking was felt across a wide region, with Baguio City recording the highest intensity at Intensity V. Other areas that felt the quake include Aringay, La Union; Bontoc, Mountain Province; and Sison, Pangasinan, all at Intensity III. Intensity II was recorded in San Fernando, La Union; Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija; and Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

Meantime, the municipalities of Lingayen and Urdaneta, Pangasinan, were also hit at Intensity I. While the intensity was strong, particularly in Baguio City, authorities have yet to report any major damage or casualties.

A second, less powerful aftershock was felt in Baguio City and parts of Benguet province at 10:40 a.m. In response, local governments swiftly ordered suspensions of classes and government work.

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered the cancellation of classes for Pre-School through K-12 levels in the city, leaving the decision for university-level classes to the discretion of school administrations.

In La Trinidad, Benguet, Governor Melchor Daguines Diclas suspended all classes and government work for the day, with suspensions in other Benguet municipalities left to the discretion of their respective mayors.

The provincial government of La Union, on the other hand, also announced a series of suspensions, canceling both classes and government work in Bauang, Tubao, Rosario, Pugo, Caba, Burgos, Naguilian and Agoo.

Classes only were suspended in Sto. Tomas, Aringay and Bagulin, while Santol suspended only elementary classes.

Meanwhile, in the Municipality of Santo Tomas, La Union, 28 students were taken to the Santo Tomas Rural Health Unit after reporting dizziness following the earthquake.

Authorities said the students were immediately attended to by medical personnel for evaluation and monitoring as the situation remains under assessment.

In other developments, Itogon Mayor Bernard Waclin has issued an order for all mining operations in the municipality to temporarily suspend activities following a felt Intensity 5 earthquake in the province of Benguet on 9 October 2025.

The mayor disclosed that the suspension is a precautionary measure intended to ensure the safety of both workers and surrounding communities. The directive covers all mining operators within the town’s jurisdiction.

In addition to the mining shutdown, Waclin also suspended classes at all levels and government work in Itogon for the day.