Earthquakes in the Philippines are common. Most of them go unnoticed by humans, only a machine can pick them up. There are probably hundreds of earthquakes in the Philippines each year. I searched for the number of quakes in the Philippines per year but didn’t find that number. I did quite a bit of search as I’m sure the number is out there but I failed to find it. I have seven browser windows still open about earthquakes in the Philippines. I was surprised how many earthquakes do occur in the Philippines.
Earthquakes in the Philippines Near Tacloban
Last week, one of Jessie’s friends sent her a text message telling her they had had several earthquakes in Tacloban. That is the city in which Jessie grew up and lived until four years ago. She said they were bigger than normal and one was rather large. So I did a search for earthquakes in Tacloban. I was surprised to find so many earthquakes near her home over the past four months. There have been several earthquakes off the coast of Leyte and Samar provinces with a magnitude near or over 5.0. This is shown in the following graphic.
Some of these are in Mindanao which isn’t really close to Tacloban in my mind. Still, there have been several near Tacloban in the last couple of weeks. Several measuring in at a magnitude greater than 5. After seeing this, I thought they would probably have even more in Mindanao. So I searched for that but found that the area around Tacloban is probably the most often hit by these smallish sized earthquakes. A 5.0 quake is not considered small. They are classified as moderate and damaging. An earthquake that comes in a 6 to 6.9 is considered destructive.
The Pacific Ring of Fire
Most of us have heard of the Pacific Ring of Fire at this point. This is where the most earthquakes and active volcanoes on the earth will be found. Plates of rock meet along the edges of this area. They slip and slide atop of mantle deep within the earth. This movement sometimes causes earthquakes that can be felt by humans. The Philippines sits right in the middle of the boarder of the Pacific Ring of Fire. That’s the worst place to be as far as earth quakes go.
The Philippines is also home to several active volcanoes. The second largest quake of the 20th century occurred in the Philippines. It was a truly massive event. Some places within the Philippines were covered in 600 feet of ash. I learned that from one of the documentary channels. Either Discovery Channel or National Geographic. Many lives were lost but there had been weeks of warnings from an American scientist working at the military base in Luzon. Those warning saved a large number of people. As a side note, that scientist returned to live in the Philippines after he retired.
Are Earthquakes in the Philippines Life Threatening?
Yes, earthquakes in the Philippines are life threatening and have taken lives in the past. I don’t think there have been any recorded deaths from earthquakes in the four years that I have been living here. There have been no large quakes during that time. A friend of mine once told me that he was in a big one in General Santos and he thought he was going to die. I believe that quake registered near a 7.
It is probably just a matter of time before the Philippines sees a major quake that has the potential to kills hundreds or even thousands of people. That depends on where it hits. From what I can tell, Samar, Leyte, Mindanao and Luzon are the areas most likely to be hit by an earthquake. Luzon is where Manila is located and there is a fault like just off the coast. There have been significant earthquakes in Manila since I have lived here. An earthquake in Manila will get more press coverage because it is a media center and over 10 million people live in and near Manila. If a major earthquake hits the Manila area, the potential for loss of life could be massive.
Cebu sees fewer quakes but we get more here than I thought. Since I’ve been living here we’ve only had two minor quakes. They both registered near 3. I must say, a quake even at that size is a scary thing if you are not use to them. For a couple of months after they hit, I was a bit jumpy. The reason I knew this was that every time a truck large enough to shake the ground pass down the street I took notice of it. I didn’t do that before the quakes. I don’t do it any more. I’m not alone in this. A Filipino that lives near Bogo left a comment on this website saying he was traumatized by the quakes and that he was reacting in the same way. The plate boundaries of the Philippines are shown below:
A quake of 6 or more must be terrifying. I can see why my friend thought he would die in that large one. Even these small ones lasted long enough for me to get out the door before it was over. It was actually an aftershock. The initial quake was sudden and over before I knew what it was. Once outside, I could see the buildings swaying back and forth. A neighbor was running between two buildings with a child in his arms and his hand over his head. Terror all over his face. For me, the fear was “how much worse will it get.” It was soon over though. There was no obvious damage but we did notice cracks in a nearby home water tower afterwards.
From what I saw on the maps, it does look like Cebu gets a smaller number of quakes than most of the Philippines. Perhaps another reason to live in Cebu. However, Cebu could be hit by a large quake too. I can’t promise you that it will not be.
Just to see if the quakes in the Philippines that I saw on the map happened all over the world, I looked for Memphis. Nope, they don’t have as many all over the world. There was only one in the Memphis area. Memphis is predicted to have a major earthquake at some point too. If you’d like to have a look at these maps, visit the site at this link. You can type in a city name. The city will return a list of cities with that name and you can click on one to see the earthquakes in this region.
Also during my research, I did find that the Philippines is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world. Do I think that the potential for earthquakes in the Philippines should keep you away? No, not at all, after all I am still here. My risk of being run over by a bus are probably much more likely than being killed in an Earthquake. However, one should be aware of earthquakes in the Philippines.
Tagged with: Cebu • Earthquake • Live In The Philippines • Luzon • Manila • Mindanao • Tacloban
Filed under: Living In The Philippines
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If you have been in a earthquake any place in the world please tell us where and what it was like.
Hey Rusty, Philippines have a lot of earthquakes because they are on the fault line, espically in Manila area. The Central and Southern part of Phlippines are much safer.
Wardell Benford Jr. Hi Wardell, yes the faults lines is what the story was about. It is worse than that though. The Philippines sits atop the boundary of the Pacific Ring of Fire. There are a lot of fault lines. Leyte and Smare get more earthquakes than Mainla. They have had several in the last couple of weeks. Manila is close to a fault line, its off the coast.
New Zealand also gets quakes and I remember one when I was in a second floor of a concrete building and not only did the cars start moving on their suspension but the concrete floor could be seen rippling like a small wave on water. It only lasted for about 30 seconds but sure shook the dust out of the roof and shook me a bit as well. That was the only big one I felt in 7 years there but there was lots of smaller ones that could be felt, some lasting 10 minutes with all the aftershocks. Christchurch and Lyttleton in the South Island of NZ have both been wrecked by earthquakes in the last year so it is an area of concern.
New Zealand gets some huge quakes. Sometimes almost no one lives there, which is good. Seems like its int he mountains, a little north and on the other side of the country from Christ Church?
Hi Rusty, In Wellington ( the capital city of New Zealand ) the fault line can be seen running right alongside the Hutt Motorway and Wellington does get quite a few quakes. If ever they get a really big one I pity the Kiwi’s. Even Australia which according to the geologists is a really ancient and stable land mass gets the odd earthquake so I don’t think any country is exempt from the odd shake. If we worried about what mother earth had in store for us every day we would lock ourselves in our bedrooms and never come out lol. I live as well as I can every day because every day I wake up is a bonus and the first day of the rest of my life so why worry about what might happen. We are here for a short time so I try to make it a good time.
yeah I think an earthquake can happen any place in the world, they just happen more often along the pacific ring of fire.
It usually isn’t a matter if a big one will happen but when.
Scientist's say "those who are living along the "ring of fire" have several earthquakes per days. Most never feel them. 1964 Alaska had the biggest earthquake ever to hit Alaska. Under the new seismic chart. The 1964 earthquake is a 8.0. Destroyed every city along the coast including Anchorage.
I believe the Philippines is sitting on top of the fault line and a real good shaker could have the potential to wipe out the Philippines for good. Hope that never happens. Alaska is sitting on top of the fault line and it will take one big shaker and Alaska is history. Another 8.0 will do it. Along with the volcano's we have. 12 that I know of here in Alaska. There is 4 that are still active. There is one that is 950 miles from Anchorage that is rumbling and if it blows Anchorage can be covered in ash for years. I would hate to see what it can do to the Philippines
Yes the Philippines is on the ring of fire, it stretches from the southern end of So America on the Pacific Ocean side up and around the west coast of mexico, US, Canada, Alaska down across Japan, Philippines , Indonesia and ends east of Australia.
Yes, hope i'm not in Manila if and when it hits, over half of the buildings in the city would be leveled.
Hey Matthew, I read a Filipino forum when I was researching this. One in English. Most believed there where hundreds of quakes per day but most cannot be felt by humans. Just like you said.
David Harris Manila had a fairly large quake last year. Not much damage. It was around a magnitude six if I remember right. There is a map showing the Pacific Ring of Fire on the article. These areas are also pron to active volcanoes and the Philippines is home to the second largest eruption of the 20th century. The eruption lowered temperatures around the world for a year or two.
very interesting
When I wass transfered out to Cali , I was welcomed with a very big quake. It was the 7.9 that hit Desert Center in Oct.’99. I was in Palm Springs, CA. I woke up thinking I was back on a towboat backing down to make a lock south bound. Then I realized I was in a hotel and they SHOULD NOT be shakeing and rumbleing like a towboat backing up south bound. In the morning when I went to the gas station next door to get some coffee I asked the lady at the counter if that was normal and she looked at me like I should be commited. That was my one major quake experiance.
Wow, I didn't realize the Phills is at the intersection of so many faults! Just like Japan. BTW, last time I visited I got to experience a 6.5 earthquake. Was in the mall of asia in the second floor food court at the time. I think if I hadn't been sitting down I wouldn't have noticed it. Makes me wonder if the MOA has some kind of earthquake-proofing or something. You could only tell it was an earthquake 'cause the hanging signs swung back and forth. I later saw on youtube that it caused blinds in office buildings to sway too. But damage? None that I recall…
Mark, That quake wasn't all that long ago? I recall a significant quake within the last year I think that did almost no damage. That surprised me. The buildings here, often they look like little more than a lean to do amazing well during typhoons. I think the people are accustomed to dealing with these things. in the case of a typhoon though, a direct hit does make tooth picks out of those nipa huts and lean to's though.
Yes the fault lines look like the freeway system in Atlanta with all the intersections. The plate movement you spoke of is every where along the pacific ring of fire and the Philippines is sitting right on the edge of it.
Ooops, forgot to add that all this tectonic activity is what accounts for all the volcanoes in the Philippines too. Camiguin island, just NE of Cagayan de Oro, is supposed to have the highest number of volcanoes per square mile of anyplace in the world. (I remember that there are 6 or 7) Back in the late 1800s there was a large eruption that wiped out the capital city in less than 4 mins. A few years back over 90% of a village was wiped out when a typhoon blew in. It wasn't that powerful but being pushed up against a volcanic mountain, the rise in altitude cooled the air and the condensed moisture came down as rain at as much as 7-10" per hour (!) which eroded the jungle's shallow soil on the volcanic slope. This all washed down slope and took most of the village into the ocean.
Yes and I wonder what will happen to those new skyscrapers in Metro Manila especially in the Pasay City area. The buildings in Tokyo swayed but did not collapse during the March 2011 quake. How well built are those in the Philippines?
Last night we had another earthquake here in eastern samar. It is the fourth earthquake in the last few weeks. They seem to be increasing in strength and duration. Our business is located on a second floor here in Dolores it just feels like trying to walk home after getting a good drunk on lol. Anyways everyone here takes it in good stride and really do not seem to be too concerned about it to tell you the truth. Am heading back to Canada for a couple of months to help my mother out with her business for she has broken her hip plus to bring my other daughter back as well.
glad to hear all is OK
Hi John, those earthquakes over that way is what led me to write this article. My gf grew up there, I use to chat with her before I got here and they had quite a few there. Once their warning siren went off afterwards but then the all clear sounded. Most of them are happening off the coast. If there is a big one a Tsunami is a serious concern. They are so close though, I don't think there is much that can be done. Build a boat dude.
good luck with them, hopefully they will continue to be mild during our lifetimes.
On average it looks like we have about 75 per month.
Here is the official website.
ADVICE: Move out of the cities before the Karabao pie hits the fan!
Nothing in Palawan though.
Here, we seem to be out of the fault zone.
Hi Rusty, I’ve been down there in the Philippines 3 times and never once flet an earthquake, although according to this Philvolcs page, there have been 5 already today (February 5th)
John, after living here for four years full time, I've only felt two. Of course with my luck those were the first two in this area in living memory. They were both very small.
Well, Bogo just had an earthquake. Very small one but none the less an earthquake. I hope we were not just feeling a large one some place else. headed to USA Geological service to find out.
Yes, I use theirs instead of the local one. The last time Bogo had earthquakes it didn't even show up on the Philippines site.
WOW! And we were just talking about that too. Last time I felt a good shaker was last winter. Woke me up in a hurry.
We just heard that Tacloban had another earthquake. I think that is what we probably felt. It may have been a bigger one. They had two earthquakes yesterday. Tacloban is being rocked by earthquakes. I hope they don't become huge. This one was big enough to be felt in Bogo!
my friend in polanco zamboanga del norte mindanao had one afew minutes ago also
There was a 6.8 quake in the NEGROS – CEBU REGION, PHILIPPINES. So far all I have found is on the US site. That's getting close to being a very bad earthquake and it may yet be. Could be too early to know.
Hey Steven, wow that is a log way from where this quake was centered.
It was tiny in Bogo. Not scary other than you wonder if it will get worse.
Just heard from southern Cebu, there was a very small Tsunami. Hopefully not just the first wave. We just had a very small after shock. Since we are hearing from folks down south though, and not hearing about damage, perhaps we dodged a bullet.
My friend in the southern part just call me, She is scare!
My friend that live in the Southern part call me and told me she and her family are scare!
Wardell Benford Jr., surprised she is so shaken if she's in the southern areas of the Philippines as in Mindanao. Some think the Visayans are in the southern part though. It is central philippines. If she is in Mindanao, she should be use to them
It was a large quake. 6.8 is nothing to laugh about. If she's in Mindanao, she has nothing to worry about from this one. I do wonder why Samar has been hit so many times in the last couple of weeks!
It is all the US Government and the HARP!!!!! Yeah thats it. Sharron called and told me right after her sister called. They say it was felt pretty good in Iloilo.
Steven Rose that would be the same one that hit Cebu.
Better to have several small ones then one big one. It's the big ones I am more concerned about.
The earthquake you felt is traveling the fault line. The techtonic plates slip and then on down the line. Hope
everything is ok in your neck of the woods.
I did find that the Philippines is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world.
Jho and I were talking about the increased intensity of earthquakes in the Philippines over the past months of 2011 and January/February of 2012. We saw the 5 plus intensity earthquakes in Samar from PHIVOLCS Earthquake web site. Then the Negros-Cebu earthquake happen. There was a strong 7.7 earthquake in Manila in 1990 or 1991. The earthquake is one reason that Mt Pinatubo woke up and enrupted. Let’s keep our fingers cross that is the last big news story for this year since tragedies seem to run in 3 (Ormoc flood, Manila Earthquake & Mt Pinatubo in 1990/91.)
They have had a lot earthquakes in the Samar area recently. When the tectonic plates shift it can cause shifts in other places. I THINK though that sometimes the shifts are at such different depths that they don’t affect each other. It takes someone with more knowledge than I have to know what is connected and what is not.
I’ve wondered if the quakes in Samar and the Cebu-Negros quake were related. Quakes do SEEM to come in spurts but so far the experts I’ve seen say that is just coincidence. They may not have it all worked out either.