Magnitude 6.4 quake jolts Mindanao

Davao City — A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Wednesday morning, sending students fleeing from classrooms but causing no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake occurred at 11:02 a.m. about 47 kilometers east of Manay, Davao Oriental, at a depth of 58.5 kilometers (36 miles), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the US Geological Survey.

While the USGS initially reported the magnitude as 6.7, it was later settled at 6.4. No tsunami warnings were issued.

In Davao City, the shaking was felt at Intensity II. Students at the Ateneo de Davao University and the University of Mindanao were evacuated from buildings and advised to gather in open spaces as a precaution.

“There was shaking. I saw some of the cars moving, but I think it was only for a short time, around five seconds,” said Nash Paragas, a rescuer in Davao Oriental.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Davao regional office said it is monitoring the situation and remains ready to provide relief and rapid assessments.

The Philippines is frequently hit by seismic activity due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense volcanic and earthquake activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The region remains on edge following a series of deadly quakes in late 2025. In October, eastern Mindanao was rocked by magnitude 7.4 and 6.7 earthquakes that killed at least eight people.

Those followed a magnitude 6.9 quake in the central Philippines that left 76 people dead and destroyed or damaged 72,000 homes in Cebu province.