The magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck Davao Oriental on Friday has no connection to the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Friday.
According to Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol in a press conference, the two earthquakes in Davao Oriental and Bogo City, Cebu, were caused by separate earthquake generators-the one in Davao Oriental being caused by the Philippine Trench, which has long been identified as a source of major seismic activity. ‘These are all independent earthquake generators, no connection with the Philippine Trench and Bogo Bay fault,’ said Bacolcol.
‘They are independent and apart; the activity of the other won’t trigger another,’ he added in Filipino.
Bacolcol also stressed that there are no ‘patterns’ in recent earthquakes, stressing that such tectonic activities are normal as the Philippines is ‘very active tectonically’ due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
He noted that the Philippines has more than 180 active fault segments and six trenches-all of which could generate earthquakes-resulting in almost 30 earthquakes being recorded daily. ‘At times, the tremors are strong enough to be felt by the public, but most are minor. These occurrences are merely coincidental, as the Philippines is a seismically active country,’ he added.
This, he said, is the reason Filipinos need to be prepared for similar calamities.
‘We have to accept our reality that we are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and every now and then we will be jolted by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis,’ said Bacolcol.
‘Instead of panicking, we have to prepare,’ he added.
Based on Phivolcs’ historical records, several earthquakes of similar magnitude have been recorded near the epicenter of the magnitude 7.4 quake that struck Davao Oriental on Friday, the most recent of which was a magnitude 7.1 event in 1992.
Further information dissemination needed
Bacolcol, in the same press conference, then emphasized the need for strengthened information dissemination campaigns to the public amid the recent rampant misinformation on earthquakes.
He maintained that there is no scientific evidence or technology yet that could predict earthquakes.
‘If you come across forwarded messages warning of an earthquake in the coming days, please note that these are false. At present, there is no technology capable of predicting when an earthquake will occur,’ said Bacolcol.
‘Even ‘yung unusual animal behavior, there’s no scientific evidence for that,’ he added.