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Phivolcs: 5.8 quake jolts Mindanao, no damage reported
By Roel Pareño (philstar.com) Updated June 01, 2010 12:59 PM

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- A magnitude-5.8 earthquake hit Cotabato late yesterday and shook vast Mindanao areas but reported no damaged, an official of the Philippine Institute Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Engr. Allan Labayog, Phivolcs monitoring officer, said based on their latest report under Bulletin No. 3, the epicenter of the quake that struck about 6:15p.m was located 68 kilometers southwest off Cotabato City with a depth of 34 kilometers. The tremor was felt as far as Indanan and Jolo towns in Sulu with an intensity 1.

Labayog said the quake was felt at intensity 5 in the cities of Pagadian in Zamboanga del Sur, and in Cotabato.

He said based on the Phivolcs Earthquake Intensity Scale, intensity 4 which is described to be moderately strong was felt in Isulan, Matutum, South Cotabato; Pikit, Koronadal, and Midsayap North Cotabato;

A strong quake was felt in a wide area in Mindanao yesterday evening, but Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it had yet to receive reports of damages caused by the tremor.


Labayog said intensity 3 was felt in the areas of Zamboanga City; Matalam, North Cotabato; Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City, and Ozamis; Marawi City; Matanar, Davao del Sur; and in Kiamba, Sarangani. Intensity 2 in Kidapawan, Makilala in North Cotabato; Dipolog City, Davao City, Isabela City in Basilan, Valencia in Bukidnon, and in Iligan City.

"So far we have not received any report of damage," Labayog said, citing that the tremor, described to be movements of tectonic plates, was deep.

But he said due to the site condition of the places, a different intensity was felt from many areas.

The Phivolcs official said Mindanao has two earthquake generators identified as the Cotabato trench and the Mindanao fault.