Quake jolts Batangas, Mindoro (4:23 p.m.)

MANILA -- Two quakes rocked parts of Southern Luzon Friday morning but no damages were recorded.

In an interview with Sun.Star, Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quakes are tectonic in origin but too weak to cause damage.

“It is too weak to affect the ground,” he said.

Philvolcs said the epicenter of the 4.6-magnitude quake was at 24 kilometers southeast of Mamburao town in Occidental Mindoro and was felt at intensity 3 in Mamburao, Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, and Ilijan in Batangas.

Meanwhile, Intensity 2 is recorded at San Pascual, Batangas and Aplaya Bayan, Batangas.

The quake has a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.

The United States Geological Survey recorded the 8:22 a.m. quake at magnitude 4.7 with the epicenter at 35 km west-southwest of Calapan, Mindoro; 60 km south-southwest of Batangas; 155 km south of Manila; or 175 km west-southwest of San Pedro town in Laguna.

This was followed by a 9:07 a.m. tremor with a magnitude 3.1 and is located 22 km southeast of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro.

It has a depth of 54 km and was felt at intensity 2 in Mamburao alone. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)