Metro Manila and much of Luzon woke up on Christmas Day to a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that emanated from the province of Batangas at 7:43 a.m. on Friday.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake's center was traced to Calatagan, Batangas.
Phivolcs said two aftershocks were already recorded. The first one, a magnitude 3.2, was felt at 8:09 a.m., while the other one, a magnitude 2.0, was marked at 8:29 a.m.
In Metro Manila, operations of the MRT3 and LRT2 trains were briefly disrupted.
Phivolcs said the quake was tectonic in origin and had a focus depth of 74 kilometers. It warned of possible aftershocks as the tremor was felt in these areas:
- Intensity IV – Lemery, and Malvar, Batangas; San Pedro, Laguna; City of Manila; Marikina City; Quezon City; Cainta and Antipolo City, Rizal; Pasig City
- Intensity III – Caloocan City; Tanay, Rizal; San Jose Del Monte City, and Plaridel, Bulacan; Gapan City, Nueva Ecija; Cabangan and Iba, Zambales; Samal, Bataan; Valenzuela City; Malabon City
- Intensity II – San Isidro, Nueva Ecija; Alaminos City, Pangasinan
- Instrumental Intensities were also recorded in the following areas:
- Intensity IV – Bacoor City; Tagaytay City; Carmona, Cavite; Plaridel, Calumpit, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, and Malolos, Bulacan; Guagua, Pampanga; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Las Pinas City
- Intensity III – Talisay, Batangas; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Dagupan City; Quezon City; Pasig City; Muntinlupa City; Marikina City; Cabanatuan City
- Intensity II – Roxas, Oriental Mindoro; Lucban, Quezon; Baler, Aurora; Palayan City
- Intensity I – San Jose, Nueva Ecija; Gumaca, Lopez and Lucena City, Quezon
But Phivolcs Director and Science Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. told Super Radyo dzBB there is no threat of a tsunami from the quake because of its depth.
"If it is this deep, it’s because of the pull of the West Philippine Sea on the Manila Trench, which is one of the earthquake generators that often cause deep tremors there in Batangas," Solidum told Dobol B sa News TV.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the local government of Calatagan has not reported any damage from the quake.
NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal said the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office already advised coordination among local government units to check the effects of the quake.
The local government of Mindoro is also conducting an assessment, Timbal said.
Significant damage from the quake is not expected, Solidum said.