'Quake alley': Philippines tallies 'normal' average of 20 quakes a day - Phivolcs

The Philippines tallies about 20 earthquakes a day, the country's head seismologist said Thursday, adding that this figure is "normal." 

"Iyung iba rito ay nararamdaman, hindi ganoon kalaki. Araw-araw namang mayroong nangyayari at nagkakataon na mayroong malaking sa isang araw, sa susunod na araw," Phivolcs Executive Director Renato Solidum said. 

(Some of these can be felt, but are not that strong. Earthquakes occur every day and it just so happens that there could be strong quakes on a certain day and the day after.) 

"Normal po iyun kasi ganoon kaaktibo ang ating bansa pagdating sa mga paglindol," he added. 

(That is normal because our country is seismically active.) 

The Philippines straddles the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

During the afternoon rush hour last Monday, a Magnitude 6.1 quake hit Zambales province and was felt in Metro Manila and other areas. It flattened a supermarket in Pampanga province, made buildings sway in the capital and shuttered the Clark airport for 48 hours. 

On Tuesday afternoon, a Magnitude 6.5 quake rattled Visayas, leaving 5 hurt and damaging some structures in its epicenter in San Julian, Eastern Samar. 

Two other quakes with magnitudes of 4.5 and 4.7 struck waters off Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental on Wednesday. 

These tremors were spawned by different faults and are not related, said Solidum. 

DZMM, 25 April 2019