Magnitude 7.8 earthquake jolts Mindanao, tsunami warning raised

MANILA, Philippines – A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani province at 7:37 am on Monday, June 8, rocking many parts of Mindanao and triggering a tsunami warning.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially put the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.0.

Damage and aftershocks are expected.

Phivolcs also warned the public that tsunami wave heights of “more than one meter above the normal tides” are expected. The first tsunami waves will arrive between 7:37 am and 9:37 am, and “may continue for hours.”

Residents of coastal areas in the following provinces should evacuate immediately to higher ground or move farther inland:

• Sarangani
• Davao Occidental
• Tawi-Tawi
• Sulu
• Basilan
• Zamboanga del Sur
• Zamboanga Sibugay
• Sultan Kudarat
• South Cotabato

“Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries, or shallow coastal water of the abovementioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised,” added Phivolcs.

In a statement on Monday morning, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council “are now coordinating disaster response and monitoring across all affected areas.”

“The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) has been directed to preposition relief goods and ensure that evacuation centers are ready and operational. The DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) is on standby to assess damage to roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure, and to clear routes needed for rescue and relief operations,” added the President.

Marcos also suspended classes in all levels “across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice,” saying that the Department of Education would coordinate with local government units. Classes had opened in public schools nationwide on Monday.

The Department of Health, in a separate statement, said DOH hospitals and centers for health development immediately activated crisis protocols following the earthquake. Health emergency response teams will be deployed, while teams from Luzon and the Visayas are also on standby in case field hospitals have to be established in Mindanao.

Here are the observed earthquake intensities, so far:

• Intensity VII – General Santos City
• Intensity VI – Palimbang and Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat
• Intensity V – Davao City; Kidapawan City and Carmen, Cotabato; Bagumbayan, Kalamansig, and President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat; Sibuco and Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte
• Intensity IV – Mati City, Davao Oriental; Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay; Caraga, Manay, and Tarragona, Davao Oriental
• Intensity III – Butuan City; Mainit, Surigao del Norte; Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte; Kumalarang and Vincenzo Sagun, Zamboanga del Sur
• Intensity II – Dipolog City, Labason, Liloy, President Manuel A. Roxas, and Salug, Zamboanga del Norte; Alicia, Ipil, Mabuhay, Olutanga, and Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay; Molave, Zamboanga del Sur; Abuyog and Dulag, Leyte; San Francisco, Southern Leyte

The Phivolcs Earthquake Intensity Scale ranges from Intensity I or “scarcely perceptible” to Intensity X or “completely devastating.” The highest observed on Monday, Intensity VII, means “destructive.” – Rappler.com