NATION

Minor quakes jolt Isabela, nearby provinces

‘We are still checking the fault line involved, looking into the trend of this local fault.’

Aljon Danniell Eguia

Several minor earthquakes over the western portion of Isabela, Mountain Province and Ifugao were logged by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) since last Sunday, 1 June.

As of Wednesday morning, state seismologists have recorded at least 435 minor earthquakes, in which 135 of them are plotted, with magnitudes ranging from 1.2 to 3.6.

These earthquakes occurred at depths ranging from 2 to 39 kilometers, with most of them not being felt by the public.

Phivolcs added that they are closely monitoring the earthquakes and advised the public to stay updated by following the agency’s website and social media pages.

In a phone interview, Phivolcs Science Research Analyst Paulo Sawi said that the series of small earthquakes are generated by a local fault line.

“We are still checking the fault line involved, looking into the trend of this local fault.”

Sawi added that residents should not be alarmed by the series of earthquakes, but emphasized the importance of remembering what to do during such events, such as the “duck, cover and hold” procedure.

Acting Mayor Nick Sebastian of Roxas, Isabela suspended the work of government employees last Tuesday afternoon to take “precautionary measures” after the series of earthquakes.

However, frontliners were asked to be on alert in case of an emergency situation.