Tremor rocks Metro

MANILA, Philippines - A magnitude 5.7 earthquake rocked parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, yesterday but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the quake struck at 6:54 p.m. and experts traced its epicenter at 30 kilometers southeast of Olongapo City.

The tremor was felt at Intensity 4 in the cities of Manila, Pasay and Makati; Intensity 3 in Quezon City and Tagaytay; and Intensity 2 in Indang, Cavite and Plaridel, Bulacan.

Magnitude refers to the measure of energy of an earthquake specified on the Richter scale, while intensity is a measure of the severity of shaking and its attendant damage on the surface of the earth.

The Philippine sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire” where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.  – Helen Flores