MANILA (UPDATE) - A series of quakes rocked Batangas province Sunday night, the state seismology bureau reported.
The strongest quake was measured at magnitude 4.6 and struck at 8:59 p.m. in the town of Mabini.
It was upgraded from an earlier measurement of magnitude 4.2.
The quake was tectonic in origin, Phivolcs said.
The following intensities were also recorded:
Intensity V- Mabini and Bauan, Batangas
Intensity IV- Batangas City; Santo Tomas, Batangas
Intensity III- Malvar, Cuenca, Tanauan, San Pascual and Calatagan, Batangas; Puerto Galera,
Oriental Mindoro and San Pablo, Laguna
Intensity II- Alfonso, Cavite; San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro
Instrumental Intensity:
Intensity I- Tagaytay City
A magnitude 4.0 quake also hit the same area at 10:02 p.m.
The following intensities were recorded:
Intensity III - Mabini and Bauan, Batangas; Batangas City
Intensity II - Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
Intensity I - San Pascual, Batangas; Tagaytay City
Prior to the magnitude 4.6 quake, six other earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 3.3 to 1.6 were detected from the same area.
Meanwhile, several residents from the town of Tingloy evacuated from their houses due to the series of earthquakes.
Tingloy is located in an island off the coast of Mabini.
According to Police Capt. Joel Española, Tingloy Police chief, at least 40 families from three barangays left their homes.
They are currently staying in tents set up outside the town's school.
Authorities are still gathering information about the situation in the town's other barangays.
Batangas is currently reeling from the eruption of Taal Volcano.
The volcano has been on Alert Level 4 for a week now, meaning a "hazardous eruption" may happen anytime.