An image released by Phivolcs shows the epicenter of the earthquake that hit Cebu at 3:41 a.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. (PHIVOLCS IMAGE)
A 3.6-magnitude earthquake of tectonic origin jolted parts of Cebu province and Metro Cebu at dawn on Tuesday, but there were no reports of damages from the areas affected by the quake.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the tremor at 3:41 a.m. Its epicenter was six kilometers southwest of the town of Asturias.
The quake registered an intensity four in Asturias as well as in Barangay Busay, Cebu City; intensity three in Mandaue City; and intensity two in Lapu-Lapu City.
The quake affected towns midwest of Cebu including Balamban, Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan, Toledo, Tuburan, Tabuelan and Toledo City.
At least nine aftershocks were also recorded in midwest Cebu, the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.
“The aftershocks were below the 3.6-magnitude earthquake,” Robinson Gorgio, Phivolcs-7 station chief, said in an interview with Cebu Daily News, adding that the first aftershock was recorded at 3:43 a.m. with a 3.3 magnitude.
Despite having experienced several tremors over the span of a single day, Asturias Mayor Anto Pintor assured that there were no reported earthquake-related injuries and major damages in his town.
“As of 2 p.m. today, we have not received any reported damages from the areas affected. If the area experienced magnitude five and above, then we are expecting damage on that area,” Pintor told CDN.
Pintor said that after the first earthquake was felt dawn on Tuesday, he immediately sent out a team to assess the situation in the area.
Based on initial reports, Pintor said that he did not see any compelling reason to suspend classes for the day as the earthquakes were not that strong.
Pintor, however, ordered a check on schools and other public buildings to see if they were affected by the tremors. Coastal barangays were also monitored as they were near the epicenter.
Pintor said that no major damages were reported in government buildings while around 30 classrooms in both elementary and high schools suffered “hairline cracks.”
Although the cracks were not that significant, Pintor said that they have the municipal engineer’s office check on them for further assessment.
In the neighboring town of Balamban, Mayor Ace Binghay suspended classes in all school levels for the day as a precautionary measure while they checked on all government buildings and the town hospital for cracks and damages.
According to Binghay, the suspension covered all students from elementary, high school and college, roughly estimated to be around 23,000 students.
Binghay said that so far, no earthquake-related damages nor injuries were reported in his town.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. also said that no damages or injuries in the province were reported to PDRRMO, other than the public alarm caused by the tremor and the aftershocks that followed.
Tribunalo said that today’s earthquakes show its unpredictability and urged everyone to always be prepared and to be aware of proper safety measures in the event of an earthquake.