By MADEL R. SABATER
Unlike the weekend earthquake that rocked Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan, which killed over 30,000 people and injured 41,000, only shallow earthquakes have occurred in the Philippines from July to October of this year.
According to the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs-DoST), the strongest earthquake from July to October was recorded in Iloilo City on July 15 at magnitude five on the Richter scale while the weakest was recorded in Cagayan de Oro City with magnitude 1.8 on Aug. 23.
Last September, eight shallow earthquakes were recorded, according to Phivolcs. These were in Samboan, Cebu; Surigao City; Kalibo, Aklan; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; Butuan City, Agusan del Norte; Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao; Masbate, and Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro.
Phivolcs recorded three successive earthquakes on Oct. 7, in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, with a magnitude of 4.5, which occurred at 1:42 p.m.; a 3.5 magnitude earthquake in Virac, Catanduanes at 9:20 p.m.; and a 2.2 magnitude earthquake in Legazpi City at 9:58 p.m.
Based on research, the Philippines is "one of the most seismically active regions in East Asia" because it is part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
The Philippine archipelago "sits in the collision zone on the Eurasian Plate subducting in the west and the Philippine Sea Plate subducting in the east."
Some of the country’s most devastating earthquakes include the Mindanao earthquake on Aug. 17, 1976, the Bohol earthquake on Feb. 8, 1990, and the July 16, 1990 earthquake in Luzon.
