A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook parts of Northern Luzon on Friday afternoon, October 17, only hours after Ilocos Norte held a province-wide earthquake drill.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the tremor at 4:14 pm and located its epicenter 11 kilometers northwest of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
Phivolcs classified the quake as tectonic in origin with a depth of 10 kilometers.
The agency ruled out major structural damage but urged residents to stay alert because aftershocks may occur.
The earthquake shook Bacarra in Ilocos Norte at Intensity III, Claveria in Cagayan and San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte at Intensity II, and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur at Intensity I.
As a precaution, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte directed employees of the Provincial Capitol to go home early after the tremor.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol explained that earthquakes frequently strike the Philippines because the country sits atop 180 active faults and six active trenches.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.