A MAGNITUDE 4.6 earthquake had hit Quezon province on Tuesday, rocking Metro Manila and parts of Luzon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
In an earthquake bulletin, the local seismology agency said that a tectonic tremor had struck 24 kilometers (km) northwest of General Nakar, Quezon at 12:17 p.m.
The quake was at a depth of 10km.
Phivolcs reported that intensity IV, or the strength perceived by people, was logged in the cities of Makati, Manila, Marikina, San Pedro in Laguna, and Tanay in Rizal.
Intensity III, on the other hand, was reported in Navotas, Quezon City, Pasay, San Juan, Taguig, Guiguinto and Malolos in Bulacan, Palayan in Nieva Ecija, Mabalacan and Angeles City in Pampanga, and Biñan in Laguna.
The cities of Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Obando in Bulacan, and Cabiao in Nueza Ecija felt Intensity II.
The agency warned of potential damage and aftershocks following the earthquake.
The Light Rail Transit lines 1 and 2 and the Metro Rail Transit line 3 had temporarily ceased operations to inspect possible damages following the quake. It resumed service moments later, according to the Department of Transportation.
“All train lines have successfully conducted safety checks to ensure safety of passengers,” the agency added.
The Philippines lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike. — Adrian H. Halili