Mild quakes jolt Baguio, Negros Oriental

MANILA, Philippines - Five mild earthquakes rocked parts of the country yesterday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries, state seismologists said. 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the tremors with magnitudes of 3, 3.4. 2.7, 2.3, and 3.1 were recorded at 12:06 a.m., 3:04 a.m., 8:58 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:50 a.m., respectively.

The quakes with magnitudes of 3 and 3.4 were felt in Baguio City at Intensity 1 and Intensity 2, respectively. 

Their epicenters were located six kilometers northeast and four kilometers northwest, respectively, of Baguio City.

Meanwhile, two quakes also rocked Negros Oriental yesterday.

A magnitude 2.7 quake struck 33 kms southeast of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental at 8:58 a.m. yesterday. It was felt at Intensity 3 in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

At 10 a.m. yesterday, a magnitude 2.3 quake struck some 32 kms southwest of Kabankalan City. It was felt at Intensity 2 in Tayasan town.

Tayasan was one of the hardest-hit areas by the magnitude 6.9 quake that struck Negros Oriental last Feb. 6, leaving over 50 people dead. 

Phivolcs also recorded a magnitude 3.1 tremor some 23 kms northeast of Butuan City, where it was felt at Intensity 2.

Phivolcs said no damage or aftershocks were expected from the quakes.– With Artemio Dumlao