TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — Three earthquakes and aftershocks, all tectonic in origin, were felt in many areas in Eastern Visayas from early in the morning and up to the afternoon last Wednesday, February 1.

Ms. Myrna Dolina, science research specialist with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs), based in Palo, Leyte told reporters in an interview that the earthquakes occurred at 4:30 A.M. with its epicenter located 25 kilometers northeast of San Julian, Eastern Samar, with a magnitude of 3.5 and intensity 2 in Sulat, Eastern Samar.

Dolina said another earthquake occurred at 12:26 in the afternoon with epicenter located at 13 kilometers Northeast of Borongan, with a magnitude of 4.3 and intensity 4 felt in Borongan City, Policarpo and Oras in Eastern Samar and intensity 2 in Catbalogan, Samar.

He said the stronger quake occurred at 12:30 in the afternoon with epicenter at 38 kilometers northeast of Borongan. The magnitude was recorded at 5.0 while intensity 5 was felt in Borongan City, Eastern Samar and Tacloban City; intensity 4.5 in San Policarpo and Mercedes in Eastern Samar, and in Pastrana and Tolosa in Leyte; and intensity 3 in Catbalogan, Samar and Dulag Leyte.

Dolina also said the 12:30 earquake was followed by aftershocks at 12:39, 3:15 and 4:42 in the afternoon with magnitudes ranging from 4.6 to 2.8 and intensities raging from 5 to 4 felt more or less in the same areas.

Region 8’s Office of Civil Defense in Palo, Leyte reported that there were buildings that sustained slight damage in Tacloban City and Borongan City; classes were also suspended in many elementary and high schools in Tacloban City.