MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday he might visit earthquake-hit Abra province on July 28 to give local officials enough time to respond to the immediate needs of residents.

"I am staying away from going to the affected areas for a very simple reason. It has been my experience as governor, it has been my experience in Yolanda that when the national officers come to the affected areas immediately ginugulo lang namin ang trabaho ng lokal," Marcos said in a press briefing.

(We are just disturbing the response of local officials if we go immediately.)

"Kailangan ako i-meeting ng mga local officials eh marami silang ginagawa (local officials would need to meet me even though they're busy), so I said let them do their work, let us wait for them to tell us what the true situation is, and maybe I can schedule a trip perhaps tomorrow as soon as possible."

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tayum, Abra at 8:43 a.m., and was felt some 300 kilometers away in Metro Manila.

The shallow tremor injured scores of people, triggered landslides, damaged churches, and knocked out power.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the quake left at least 4 people dead.

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Malacañang earlier in the day said Marcos would go to quake-hit areas "as soon as he is given the all clear, as soon as it is safe for him to travel and to do so."

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"Right now, nakatutok siya dito sa ating disaster relief and response. Ngayon pa lang po dumadating iyong feedback natin about the extent of the damage in certain areas. So the President will most likely put this as his priority and most likely might cancel certain appointments," said Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

(He is focused on our disaster relief and response. We have only started receiving feedback about the extent of the damage in certain areas.)

She said Marcos was coordinating with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development regarding immediate disaster response.

"Sa kabila ng nakalulungkot na mga ulat tungkol sa pinsalang dulot ng lindol, ating sinisigurado ang maagap na pagtugon sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayang apektado ng sakunang ito," Marcos said in a Facebook post.

(Despite the sad reports on the damage caused by the earthquake, we ensure our speedy response to the needs of our affected compatriots.)

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— With a report from Agence France-Presse