The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — The state seismology bureau on Monday said that Sarangani and its neighboring provinces would experience earthquakes, the latest of which was the destructive magnitude 7.8 temblor as they are situated in one of the seismically active regions in the country. Teresito Bacolcol, Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director, told The Manila Times that the coast of Sarangani faces the Cotabato Trench, which is a highly active fault system capable of generating massive earthquakes and destructive tsunamis. Also, Bacolcol said that there are local faults in proximity, some potentially concealed by recent deposits. The Cotabato Trench and these active faults are capable of generating minor to great earthquakes, he reiterated. With the last damaging quake in the province and its neighboring localities that occurred on November 17, 2023 at magnitude 6.8, Phivolcs said at least seven significant earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from M5.7 to M8.0 affected Sarangani and nearby provinces between 1917 and 2023 based on its data. The latest event that happened around 7:37 a.m., Monday, has an offshore epicenter located 32 kilometers west of Maasim, also in the same province, the agency said. “Based on the location of the earthquake, focal mechanism, and aftershock distribution, the earthquake may be attributed to subduction along the Cotabato Trench,” according to the Phivolcs chief. As of 11 a.m., Phivolcs has reported a total of 138 aftershocks ranging from M1.3 to M6.7 as the quake recorded the highest reported Intensity 7 (destructive) which was felt in General Santos City while the ground shaking was felt as far as Abuyog and Dulag in Leyte. Phivolcs said aftershocks would likely persist for several days to weeks and some may be felt in nearby provinces. It said that tsunami waves were recorded along the coasts of Kiamba and Maasim, Sarangani, and Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat with a height of approximately one meter. Tsunami waves, less than one meter in height, were also recorded in Mati City and Zamboanga City. Phivolcs said that aside from strong ground shaking and tsunami, earthquake-induced landslides, rock falls, and other types of mass movement may have occurred in mountainous or hilly areas. It said further that liquefaction, manifested by subsidence, ground fissures, sand boils, and/or lateral spreads, may have affected low-lying, water-saturated, and sandy areas near water bodies. “Active river channels and coastal areas may be vulnerable to inundation of seawater due to the combination of liquefaction-induced subsidence and changes in sea level,” Bacolcol said. Asked if the Sarangani earthquake could trigger a volcanic activity, Bacolcol said it was unlikely although the nearest active volcanoes to Sarangani are the Matutum and Parker Volcanoes, “Nevertheless, in line with standard monitoring protocols for moderate to great earthquakes occurring near active volcanoes, Phivolcs will continue to closely monitor the area for any volcanic activity that may be affected by the event,” he said. As usual, Bacolcol reminded the residents to prepare for aftershocks and protect themselves by doing the “Drop, Cover, and Hold” procedure. Exercise caution around structures that appear weakened or show signs of damage from the latest earthquake as these may sustain further damage by succeeding earthquakes, he said. “Damaged buildings should not be reoccupied until certified safe by structural engineers,” he stressed. The top Phivolcs official then urged the public to refrain from sharing messages from unconfirmed or unreliable sources and only rely on information issued by the agency and other authorized agencies. “During earthquake events, unverified information, rumors, and fake news may cause unnecessary panic,” Bacolcol said.
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