MANILA: An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 struck south of the Philippine capital early on Saturday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
The agency said aftershocks were expected from the tectonic earthquake, at a depth of 116 kilometers (72.08 miles).
Some residents in the capital region were awakened by the quake that lasted nearly a minute.
“The quake was deep so there is no tsunami,” Renato Solidum, director of the Seismology agency, told DZRH radio station. “In Manila, the intensity 4.0 or 5.0 is strong but not yet destructive.”
The epicenter is 16 km (10 miles) southwest of Batangas province, Solidum said.
“It’s very strong, we’re alarmed,” said police Major Ronnie Aurellano in Calatagan municipality, Batangas province, which is near the epicenter of the quakes.
“It’s raining very hard here as well, but our people here are used to earthquakes. They’re aware of the duck, hold and cover when there’s an earthquake.”
“We’re checking low-lying areas in case there’s a tsunami,” he added.
The Philippine seismological agency said it did not expect damage. And there was no tsunami warning or threat, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.
“It’s not as strong compared to the previous quakes here — there’s no damage reported to us,” said police Corporal Bernie Faderogao in nearby Mabini.
“Our sliding door was just slightly shaken but it didn’t break.”
The archipelago is regularly rocked by quakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
