A magnitude 6.9 earthquake of tectonic origin rocked the region, including Iloilo City at intensity 5 around 11:49 in the morning yesterday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) based in Roxas City, Capiz said the tremor measured at Magnitude 6.9 with a depth of 10 kilometers was felt in all parts of Western Visayas.

The epicenter of the quake was recorded in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

Intensity 7 was recorded at Dumaguete City and Valle Hermoso, Negros Oriental and La Carlota and La Castellana in Negros Occidental was at intensity 6.

Some parts of the region were recorded at intensity 5 including Roxas City, Dao and Ivisan in Capiz; Guimaras; San Carlos City, Sagay City, Bacolod City, Tagbilaran City; and in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental and also in Cebu City and Ayungon, Negros Oriental.

Intensity 4 was felt in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo; San Jose, Patnungon and Pandan, Antique; Ayungon, Negros Oriental; Kalibo, Aklan; Sagay, Negros Occidental; Dipolog City; Butuan City; Tacloban City; Catbalogan, Samar; Masbate City; Cagayan de Oro City; St. Bernard, Southern Leyte.

Other intensity levels were also raised in Eastern Visayas and in Northern Mindanao.

Initially, Phivolcs raised tsunami alert level 2 in Negros Oriental and Cebu but it later cancelled the said alert.

KILLED

Col. Francisco Zosimo Patrimonio, commander of the Army's 302nd Brigade in Negros Oriental, said that there are 42 fatalities.

He added that the hardest hit areas in the region were in Guihulngan, La Libertad, and Jimalalud. There were landslides and collapsed bridges in Brgy. Planas, Guihulngan with 10 people killed and 29 missing.

A nine-year-old died after a wall of the Matuog Elem. School collapsed on her. An 11-year-old also died after the wall of a chapel in Brgy. Mompong, Jimalalud, collapsed on her.

MORE AFTERSHOCKS

Phivolcs also recorded at least 16 aftershocks and it also warned that it could be felt within the week.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Sec. Mario Montejo said that the recorded aftershocks were at magnitude 5.8, 5.3, 5.0 and magnitude 4.5.

According to Rosario Cabrera, Regional Director of the Office of the Civil Defense, said that they are still monitoring for any damages but confirmed that there were no reports received by their office.

“Though there were no damages reported, we should still be alert for possible aftershocks,” she said.

Although the tsunami alert was lifted earlier, Cabrera still urged people living in coastal and other low lying areas to be on alert.

She added that RDRRMC had made coordination with the Iloilo City government to deploy building officials to check on the possible cracks caused by the earthquake.

Meanwhile, in a press release, Pres. Benigno Aquino III tasked Phivolcs to monitor the affected areas for further seismic activity.

Due to the tsunami alert raised, the Philippine National Police were alerted to keep the population away from the shoreline, and to ensure the maintenance of peace and order.

The President also urged people in affected areas to remain vigilant and take the necessary safety precautions.

COPING WITH DISASTERS

Meanwhile, OCD Undersecretary Proceso Domingo, who personally experienced the tremor here yesterday, urged the public to remain vigilant and always be prepared.

“We should always be prepared, and must maintain calm when disasters come,” he said.

He also noted that establishment with very poor structures should be improved to avoid possible damages that may happen.

Moreover,  in the midst of disaster, high school students and teachers of Ateneo de Iloilo cope with the noontime earthquake with ease and presence of mind as they charge through the nearby open space in less than five minutes. All classes were called off thereafter.

Following the school’s earthquake protocol, the Ateneans stayed in the secured front lawn and rotunda of the school premises for about 25 minutes until they were told to call their parents and guardians to be fetched up.

Teachers and staff of the school then managed to get all the bags of the students in the building and distributed it to their owners thereafter. No students were allowed anymore to enter the school structures (main building and the school gymnasium) that are presently being checked by the school engineer as a matter of protocol.

In the initial checkup of the school physical plant supervisor, no major cracks or fissures were seen in the building that is structurally designed to apparently withstand even a 7.5 quake.

INTENSITY METER

Meanwhile, as fear follows the recent earthquake, an intensity meter will be installed by the Philvolcs in Iloilo this year.

According to Ramil Atando, Philvolcs Capiz head, the intensity meter will serve the whole Panay Island.

The seismic sensor is among the 100 earthquake intensity meters that will be established in the various parts of the country for a more precise and faster readings of earthquake.

A huge number of the seismic sensors will be scattered in highly populated areas surrounded by fault lines like Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The facility is a box like structure equipped with a small monitor capable of calculating the intensity of the earthquake and transmitting on real-time the data into the Phivolcs database for an accurate description and measurement of the tremor’s intensity.

Atando said that the project is realized through the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and will help the seismologist for a faster issuance of landslide and tsunami alerts to save lives in the event that earthquake will strike the country.

This 2012,there were three earthquake incidents were recorded in Panay, intensity two earthquake were felt in San Joaquin and Igbaras towns in Iloilo and the most recent is the intensity 5 felt in the Iloilo City and Sta. Barbara, yesterday.

INTENSITY LEVEL

The United States Geological Survey said the Mercalli Intensity Scale defines Intensity 7 as involving damage.

"Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken," it said.

An Intensity 6 quake is felt by all, with many being frightened. Damage is expected to be slight.

The USGS defines an Intensity 5 quake was felt by nearly everyone. An Intensity 4 quake is felt indoors by many and outdoors by few during the day.

On the other hand, an Intensity 3 is defined as being felt noticeably; Intensity 2 is felt by a few persons at upper floors of buildings. An Intensity 1 quake is not felt except by very few. *PIA/Jennifer Rendon/Karen Bermejo