A 1910 earthquake map of the Philippines | |
Largest | Mw8.3 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake |
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Deadliest | Mw 8.0 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake 5,000–8,000 killed |
The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes the country to have frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Many earthquakes of smaller magnitude occur very regularly due to the meeting of major tectonic plates in the region. The largest was the 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake with Mw8.3.
Earthquakes recorded from the 17th to 19th century:[1]
Date | Epicenter and Effects | |
---|---|---|
Year | Month | |
1601 | January | Manila and adjacent provinces. Did considerable damage to some churches and many private houses in Manila. Its duration was unusually great, it being said that during 7 minutes the shocks were almost continuous. There were several dead and a great number of injured. The repetitions were frequent throughout the year. |
1628 | — | Camarines and Albay. A destructive earthquake in which, it is said, a mountain burst and emitted a river of water and mud which swept away the town of Camarines and others. The name of Camarines was at the time used to designate the present town of Camalig, Albay and the district near the southern slopes of Mayon Volcano. The flood mentioned was probably an avalanche of water, sand, volcanic ashes, and lapilli, such as also on other occasions have occurred on the slopes of the same volcano during periods of torrential rains. |
1645 | November | The most terrible earthquake recorded in the annals of the Archipelago. It might almost be said that from Manila to Cagayan and Ilocos Norte it left no stone upon the other. In the capital, where during the preceding fifty years a great number of stone buildings had been erected, magnificent churches, palaces, and public buildings, as well as private residences and villas, the destruction was frightful. Ten churches were wrecked entirely, to wit: the Royal Chapel, Cathedral, Santo Domingo, those of the Recollects and Franciscans, Santiago, San Antonio, Nuestra Señora de Guia, and the parish churches of Binondo and San Miguel; only San Agustin and the Jesuit Church remained standing. Twelve monasteries, colleges, and hospitals were likewise converted into ruins. The palace of the Governor-General fared no better, the Real Audiencia and up to 150 of the finest residences which, as one author puts it, "in other cities would have been considerable palaces." The rest of the private houses were damaged to so great an extent that the majority had to be demolished. The number of persons killed exceeded 600 and the total of killed and injured is stated to have been 3,000. Outside Manila there was a general destruction of villas and other buildings which had been erected on both banks of the Pasig River. Throughout the neighboring provinces the masonry structures built by the missionaries suffered the same fate as those in Manila. From the farthest provinces in the north were reported great alterations of the surface with almost complete disappearance of some native villages, changes in the courses of rivers, subsidences of plains, eruptions of sand, etc. All the writers of the time qualify this disturbance as the most disastrous earthquake not only in Luzon, but likewise in Mindoro, Marinduque, and the other islands south of Luzon. On the other hand, the provinces of Camarines and Albay appear to have suffered little. |
1665 | June | Destructive in Manila and adjacent provinces. In the ruins of numerous houses 19 persons perished and many more were injured. Of public buildings only the Jesuit Church is mentioned as having suffered to some extent. |
The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described are also applicable to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded. |
Date | Epicenter and Effects | |
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Year | Month | |
1787 | July | Panay Island. A terrible earthquake which left the whole island strewn with ruins. Of 15 to 20 churches and conventos in Iloilo only two or three remained standing; in Capiz and Antique, the destruction was less universal. Even the thick walls of the fort at Iloilo were breached in many places. There were subsidences in the plains and landslides in the mountains and mighty fissures opened. It is stated that the victims were numerous: in one building 15 persons perished. |
The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described are also applicable to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded. |
Date | Epicenter and effects | |
---|---|---|
Year | Month | |
1840 | — | Destructive earthquake in Sorsogon and Masbate. Ruined the masonry buildings. In Sorsogon Bay extensive subsidences occurred; the sea invaded the town, causing great destruction and claiming many victims. |
1852 | September | Central Luzon. Destructive earthquake which made itself felt with violence in the Provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Tayabas, Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. In Manila it damaged severely a great number of buildings, among them the cathedral and the churches of the Jesuits, San Miguel, and Paco, the church and convento at Pandacan (near Manila), and many houses. It is stated that the damage was (relatively) vastly greater in the Provinces of Bataan, Cavite, and Batangas, where many fissures opened and subsidences and landslides occurred. The zone most severely chastised seems to have stretched from the Zambales Mountain Range as far as the coasts of Batangas and Northern Mindoro. Aftershocks were frequent until the middle of October. |
1863 | June | Manila and adjacent provinces. A disastrous earthquake, comparable with that of 1645. Laid in ruins the cathedral and nearly all the other churches, except San Agustin, the palace of the Governor-General, the Audiencia, the barracks, warehouses, etc.; all in all, 46 public buildings in ruins and 25 others badly damaged. Of private houses 570 were destroyed, 531 left tottering. Total, 1,172 buildings in ruins or badly damaged. The number of victims was appalling. It is estimated that in Manila and the surrounding towns alone the number of killed reached 400, that of the injured 2,000. The catastrophe likewise involved many towns in Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, where it destroyed churches and a great number of houses. |
1869 | August | Masbate Island. Disastrous earthquake. Destroyed the few masonry buildings extant on the island and ruined or inclined hundreds of houses of wood or light materials; large trees fell, fissures opened, and vast landslides occurred in the mountains and along the coasts, especially in the south of the island. Countless repetitions followed, over 100 of the more severe ones having been counted during the first fortnight after the earthquake. |
1869 | October | Neighboring provinces east and south of Manila, and northern Mindoro. On Luzon the provinces chiefly affected were Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, and Batangas. In Manila this earthquake did considerable damage to quite a number of buildings. In the Provinces of Cavite and Batangas a few churches and conventos were wrecked. There was no loss of life. Repetitions were frequent during the 5 days immediately following the earthquake. |
1879 | June | Surigao Peninsula. Destructive earthquake, with disastrous results to buildings and the topography of the region. Not a single stone building remained inhabitable, although some of them, like the church, government house, and prison at Surigao, were of most solid construction. Besides the opening of innumerable fissures and vast landslides on the coasts and in the mountains, there occurred extensive subsidences: several accurate observations seem to prove that a great part of the peninsula was depressed by about 2 feet. In short, this earthquake was one of those which produced the greatest changes of topography experienced in the Philippines. There followed other very strong quakes on July 5, 24, and 28, and August 8, with countless repetitions of less importance during several months. From July 1 to 15 occurred on the average 5 perceptible shocks per day. |
1880 | July | Earthquake of destructive violence in the towns surrounding Lake Bay, especially in those south and west of the lake. Within the epicentral region of the three preceding earthquakes, which measures about 300 kilometers from north to south and 200 kilometers from east to west, severe damage was done to the principal stone buildings, such as churches, conventos, court-houses, schools, and a few private houses, of 112 of the city principal towns. In the of Manila some 30 public buildings (administration buildings, barracks, churches, monasteries, and colleges) and about 200 private houses of strong materials were either wrecked or badly damaged. Fortunately the number of victims was not in proportion to the magnitude of the disaster, neither in Manila nor in the provinces. From the various reports published at the time we conclude that the number of killed did not exceed 20, nor that of the injured 50. |
1892 | March |
Disastrous earthquake in the Provinces of Pangasinan, Union, and Benguet. It created great havoc in the masonry buildings, such as churches, conventos, court-houses, and schools, besides a few private houses, of 30 of the principal towns within the meizoseismic area, produced great fissures and extensive subsidences in the alluvial plains, and many landslides in the steep mountains of northern Pangasinan. Luckily the falling buildings killed only one or two persons. Repetitions were frequent up to the end of the month; of these three occurring on the 17th and one each on the 26th and 28th were of exceptional intensity. |
1897 | September | Disastrous earthquake in the district of Zamboanga, Basilan, and Jolo Islands. It wrought great destruction of buildings and produced fissures, landslides, and similar effects. A formidable "tsunami" (tidal wave) claimed hundreds of victims on the western shores of Basilan. This "tsunami" was the most imposing recorded in the seismological history of the Archipelago. There followed innumerable aftershocks during 18 months, 200 having been counted before the middle of October, of which those on September 22, 23, 24, 26, and 29, and October 12 and 15 deserve special mention on account of their great intensity. |
The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described are also applicable to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded. |
Year | Description and effects |
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1912 | A magnitude 7.5 quake struck Northeastern Mindanao on July 11, 1912. Damage and high intensity were experienced by towns of La Paz, Bunawan, Veruela and Talacogon in the Agusan Valley where intense ground shaking, liquefaction, widespread landslides and river/lake seiches occurred.[9] |
1918 | The Mw 8.3 Celebes Sea earthquake occurred on August 15, 1918, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The offshore shock affected the southern Philippines with high intensity shaking and a destructive tsunami that left 52 people dead. |
1924 | A strong magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Southern Mindanao on April 14, 1924.[10] At least 500 people were killed and many houses were destroyed. A destructive tsunami was also generated, which was observed as far away as Balut Island, Sarangani Bay.[11][12][13] |
1948 | A magnitude 7.8 Mw earthquake struck Panay Island on January 25, 1948, at 1:46 am. The epicenter was between the municipalities of Anini-y and Dao (now Tobias Fornier) in Antique province. |
1949 | An intensity VII earthquake struck Luzon, mainly Isabela on December 29, 1949. Starting at 11:05 am, it lasted for two-and-a-half minutes. The damage was moderately destructive, causing landslides and rough waves capsizing boats, as well as fissures that spat out black water. The intensity ranged from IV to VII throughout Luzon.[14] |
1955 | A magnitude 7.4 Mw earthquake struck Mindanao on April 1, 1955, at 2:14 am. The quake killed between 225-465 people and injured 868-898 others. |
Year | Description and Effects |
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1968 | A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Casiguran, Aurora, on August 2, 1968, at the depth of approximately 31 km (19 mi). It was considered the most severe and destructive earthquake experienced in the Philippines during the last 20 years. 270 people were reported dead and 261 were injured. |
1970 | A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Baler, Aurora, on April 7, 1970, at 1:34 pm. PST at the depth of approximately 25 km (16 mi). 15 people died and around 200 others were injured. The earthquake damaged or destroyed buildings especially in Manila, where a school collapsed.[21][22][23] |
1973 | A magnitude 7.0 quake struck Ragay Gulf on March 17, 1973. Calauag, Quezon was the worst hit, as the quake caused 98 houses totally destroyed, and 270 more were partially damaged.[24] |
1976 | A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Mindanao on August 16, 1976. The quake caused a devastating tsunami that had hit the 700 km coastline of the island of Mindanao bordering Moro Gulf in the North Celebes Sea. An estimated 5,000 – 8,000 people died. The major cause of the great number of casualties during the event could be attributed to the fact that the quake happened just after midnight when most people were sleeping; and a great tsunami was spawned, struck the coasts from different directions and caught the people unaware.[25] |
1983 | A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Laoag on August 17, 1983, at a depth of 42 km (26 mi). The quake has caused the deaths of 16 and injured 47 people.[26] |
1988 | A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Mindoro on June 20, 1988, at a depth of 16.7 km (10.4 mi). The quake has caused the deaths of 2 and injured 4 people.[27] |
1990 | A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Bohol on February 8, 1990. Six fatalities were reported and more than 200 were injured in the event. About 46,000 people were displaced by the event and at least 7,000 among them were rendered homeless. Estimated damage to properties is amounting to ₱154-million.[28] |
1990 | A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Panay Island on June 14, 1990 at a depth of 15 km (9.3 mi). Eight people died and 41 others were injured.[29] |
1990 | A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Luzon on July 16, 1990. It caused severe damage to major cities in Luzon: Dagupan (soil liquefaction), Baguio, and Cabanatuan; Hyatt Terraces Baguio collapsed. 1,621 were reported dead. Damage to buildings, infrastructures, and properties amounted to at least ₱10-billion, a part of which was caused by ground rupturing. However, some houses within 1–2 m on either side of the ground rupture survived owing to their light-weight construction while those built of reinforced concrete within this zone suffered partial damage. Damage beyond 2m depended mainly on the structural integrity of the building and effects of local topography and ground conditions.[25][30] |
1994 | A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Mindoro on November 15, 1994 at depth of 15 km (9.3 mi). The quake caused a tsunami killed 41 people, injured 250, and destroyed 1530 houses.[31][32] |
1995 | A series of large earthquakes struck Samar on April 21, 1995, with four of the largest earthquakes being near magnitude 7 and the largest one registering at magnitude 7.3. The earthquakes also resulted in a small tsunami that was recorded in Legazpi, Albay. The area was hit by another earthquake of magnitude 7.0 on May 5 of the same year.[33] |
1996 | A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Bohol on May 27, 1996, at a depth of 4 km (2.5 mi). The earthquake did not cause major damage to properties. Damage was confined to poorly built structures and/or old wooden, masonry, limestone walls of houses and buildings, generally due to ground shaking.[34] |
1999 | A magnitude of 5.1 struck Bayugan, Agusan del Sur on June 7 and 9, 1999. The towns of Bayugan and Talacogon were the most devastated.[9] |
1999 | A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck northwest of the coast of Zambales on December 12, 1999. The earthquake killed six people and injured 40 in Zambales, Pangasinan, and Metro Manila. The quake also caused power outages throughout Manila.[35] |
The largest or most notable Philippine earthquakes per year since 2001. As for the repeated entries, Moro Gulf near the Cotabato Trench is a seismically active area (the location of the devastating 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake and 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake). Meanwhile, Samar and Davao Region are near the northern and southern portions of the Philippine Trench, respectively.
Year | Magnitude | Location | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 7.5 | Philippine Sea near Tarragona, Davao Oriental[36] | January 1 | |
2002 | 7.5 | Moro Gulf | March 5 | |
2003 | 6.5 | Philippine Sea near Borongan, Eastern Samar | November 18 | |
2004 | 6.5 | Batangas Bay near Mabini, Batangas | October 8 | |
2005 | 6.4 | Moro Gulf, Mindanao[37] | November 30 | |
2006 | 6.3 | Luzon Strait near Babuyan Island | October 9 | |
2007 | 6.4 | Davao Gulf near Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental[38] | August 20 | |
2008 | 6.9 | Philippine Sea near Cabodiongan, Eastern Samar | March 3 | |
2009 | 6.6 | Moro Gulf, Mindanao | October 4 | |
2010 | 7.6 | Moro Gulf, Mindanao | July 23 | |
2011 | 6.4 | Luzon Strait near Fuga Island, Cagayan | March 20 | |
2012 | 7.6 | Philippine Sea near Guiuan, Eastern Samar | August 31 | |
2013 | 7.2 | Sagbayan, Bohol | October 15 | |
2014 | 6.6 | Moro Gulf, Mindanao[39] | December 2 | |
2015 | 6.1 | Philippine Sea near Burgos, Surigao del Norte[40] | July 3 | |
2016 | 6.3 | Philippine Sea near Mati City, Davao Oriental[41] | September 24 | |
2017 | 7.2 | Sarangani Bay near Sarangani, Davao Oriental[42] | April 29 | |
2018 | 7.2 | Davao Gulf near Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental | December 29 | |
2019 | 6.9 | Matanao, Davao del Sur | December 15 | |
2020 | 6.6 | Masbate Pass near Cataingan, Masbate | August 18 | |
2021 | 7.1 | Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental | August 11 | |
2022 | 7.0 | near Tayum, Abra | July 27 | |
2023 | 6.0 | near Montevista, Davao de Oro[43] | February 1 | |
The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described are also applicable to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded. |
Only earthquakes of magnitude 7.0+ are included, unless the event is notable such as causing casualties, or significant damage.
Ten deadliest recorded earthquakes in the Philippines since the 1600s | |||||||||
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Magnitude | Location | Date | Deaths | Missing | Injured | Damage | Source | ||
1 | 8.0 | Moro Gulf | August 16, 1976 | 4,791 | 2,288 | 9,928 | |||
2 | 7.8 | Luzon Island | July 16, 1990 | 1,621 | 1,000 | >3,000 | ₱ 10 billion | ||
3 | Unknown | Manila | June 3, 1863 | 1,000 | [1] | ||||
4 | 7.5 | Luzon Island | November 30, 1645 | >600 | >3,000 | Unknown | |||
5 | 8.1 | Mati, Davao Oriental | April 14, 1924 | ~500 | [119][120] | ||||
6 | 7.4 | Lanao del Sur | April 1, 1955 | >400 | Unknown | US$5 million | [121] | ||
7 | 7.6 | Casiguran, Aurora | August 2, 1968 | 271 | 261 | ||||
8 | 7.2 | Bohol and Cebu | October 15, 2013 | 222 | 8 | 796 | ₱ 4 billion (est.) | [122] | |
9 | 6.7 | Negros Oriental | February 6, 2012 | 51 | 62 | 112 | ₱ 383 million | ||
10 | 7.1 | Mindoro | November 15, 1994 | 78 | 430 | ₱ 5.15 million | [31] |