THE 6.5-magnitude earthquake that shook Leyte province on Thursday afternoon, July 6, was felt in parts of Negros Occidental, causing power interruption in some areas of Bacolod City.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Intensity 4 was felt in Sagay City, Intensity 3 in Bacolod City and Calatrava, and Intensity 1 in La Carlota City.
Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, head of Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division, said the tremor did not pose any tsunami threats as the quake that jolted Leyte, which killed two people and injured more than 10 individuals, was “land mass and not offshore.”
He said he coordinated with the affected local government units following the tremor, and there were no reported damage or injuries.
However, a Grade 9 student from Calatrava town became unconscious due to the tremor.
Councilor Honey-Boy Goc-ong said the female student got scared when the earth shook.
Goc-ong said the student, along with her classmates, were going out of their classroom to evacuate when she got unconscious, but she got immediate assistance from the school authorities.
The students from Calatrava National High School only had their earthquake drill on Thursday morning, and they were able to “apply” what they have learned hours later, he said.
Moreover, Caelian said his office continues to monitor the development and coordinate with other localities for updates.
He also said there’s no “direct relationship” between an earthquake and a volcanic eruption.
Caelian explained that an earthquake is tectonic in origin while volcanic eruption is magmatic.
In Bacolod City, Jose Maria Vargas, cluster head on City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said there were no reported damage in the city.
“It’s not as strong to destroy a building here unlike in the area of Leyte,” he added.
Vargas said they will continue to inspect buildings especially at the downtown area to ensure the safety of the public.
Power interruption
About 50 percent of the coverage area of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), including Bacolod, suffered a brownout for about two hours, following the 6.5 magnitude earthquake.
Engineer Leomel Tambanillo, manager of Ceneco Corporate Planning Department, said the earthquake affected submarine cables between Leyte and Cebu, causing the shutdown of geothermal power plants in Leyte.
“There is now an oversupply of power in Negros since generators in the region and neighboring Panay Island can no longer transmit power to Cebu," Tambanillo said.
He added that oversupply caused the tripping off of the three Ceneco substations in Bacolod.
As of 6 p.m., five feeders of its Alijis, Reclamation and Mabini substations were already energized. (With reports from PNA)