MANILA, Philippines - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake rocked parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, yesterday but did not cause damage or casualties, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said the tremor struck at 7:50 a.m. with its epicenter at 52 kilometers southwest of Batangas City.
The quake was felt at Intensity 4 in the town of Looc in Lubang island, Occidental Mindoro; Intensity 3 in Batangas City; Iba, Zambales; Clark, Pampanga; and Intensity 2 in Talisay, Batangas; Cavite City; Calamba, Laguna and in the cities of Makati, Manila, Muntinlupa, Ortigas, Pasig, Mandaluyong and Pasay.
Magnitude is a measure of energy of an earthquake registered on the Richter scale.
The intensity, on the other hand, is the measure of the severity of shaking and damage caused on the earth’s surface.
The Philippines lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet and frequent seismic and volcanic activity is experienced.
Phivolcs said about 20 earthquakes hit the country everyday but few are felt. -– Helen Flores