TWO separate tremors jolted parts of Luzon and Visayas on Wednesday but not strong enough to pose damage to property, the state seismologists reported.
In Eastern Samar, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that a magnitude 5.0 quake jolted at 5:50 a.m. with its epicenter traced at 24 kilometers northwest of Borongan.
The Phivolcs said the quake was tectonic in origin and was felt at Intensity 4 in Borongon and Sulat towns; Intensity 3 in Taft, Can-Avid and Llorente towns in Eastern Samar, as well as in Catbalogan City, Samar; and Intensity 2 in Tacloban City in Leyte, Gen. MacArthur and Mercedes towns in Eastern Samar, and Calbayog City in Western Samar.
At 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, parts of Northern Luzon experienced a magnitude 4.2 quake, with an epicenter traced at 133 km northeast of Laoag City.
According to Phivolcs, the quake was felt at Intensity 2 in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
For its part, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at magnitude 4.6.
USGS said the epicenter was traced to 125 km north northeast of Laoag City; 160 km south southwest of Basco, Batanes; 500 km north of Manila; or 655 km south of Taipei, Taiwan. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)