THE movement of the new and active fault line in Kadingilan, Bukidnon caused the 5.9 magnitude earthquake which rocked towns in the province and some parts of Mindanao around 9:22 p.m., Monday, November 18.
The quake’s epicenter was in Kadingilan town. Over 130 aftershocks were monitored as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, November 19.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs)-Northern Mindanao chief Marcial Labininay said this fault line is relatively new, and its last movement was monitored in 2017 when a 5.4 magnitude quake hit Wao, Lanao del Sur.
Labininay said the fault line, although new, is active and fertile.
“Kini nga fault line wala pa na-account or nabutang sa fault map because it is a moving fault, naay time nga mawala so wala pa namo na-nganlan,” he said.
According to its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO), some 17 villages have incurred damage while four persons suffered injury and trauma after the tremor.
Sixteen houses were damaged, particularly in villages Sibonga and Husayan.
A health center was also damaged in Kibogtok village while a public terminal showed cracks on its columns.
Cracks were likewise seen on a two-story building of two schools.
The Kadingilan Police Station and the Poblacion village hall including the Sr. San Isidro Parish Church also incurred damage.
In Valencia City, Bukidnon, the Esther Hospital incurred cracks while patients were evacuated outdoors. They were advised to return to the hospital at around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
All other high-rise hospitals in the city such as the Adventist Medical Center and Valencia Medical Hospital also undertook evacuation but returned three hours later.
Initially, two houses incurred damage but no one was injured.
The Lumbo Elementary School, Sinabuagan Elementary School, and Tongan-Tongan Elementary School also incurred cracks on classroom walls.
In Don Carlos town, two hospitals were damaged while cracks were observed in six houses, a gasoline station and a hotel in Maramag town.
The said municipalities also cancelled classes on Tuesday as officials continue to assess the integrity of the structures.