4.7 quake jolts parts of Visayas

CEBU, Philippines- For roughly five seconds yesterday morning, Cebuanos and Boholanos felt almost the same fearful experience in October 2013 after an earthquake hit.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a magnitude 4.7 tremor with the epicenter traced at 12 kilometers southeast of Buenavista, Bohol at 9:47 am.

It had a depth of three kilometers and was felt at intensity 5 in San Miguel, Bohol and in Cebu City as well as in Mandaue City.

Intensity 4 was felt in Lapu-Lapu City, where the Mactan Cebu International Airport is located, and in Buenavista town in Bohol. Intensity 3 was felt in Bogo City in northern Cebu, Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Bacolod and Iloilo city. Intensity 2 was felt in Argao while intensity 1 was felt in President Roxas City, Capiz.

Intensity 5, according to Phivolcs, is considered strong and can be generally felt by most people both indoors and outdoors, awaken sleeping people and cause people to run outside a building or structure while violently shaking hanging objects.

Two years ago, Bohol and Cebu were jolted by a more powerful tremor of magnitude 7.2 which devastated homes and structures.

According to Phivolcs Visayas chief geologist Robinson Giorgio, the source of yesterday’s quake was the same as the October 15, 2013 tremor. He added that no major damage is usually expected for tremors intensity 5 and below.

He likewise clarified that this was not related to the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that shook Papua New Guinea an hour earlier.

Work suspended

Following the quake that jolted Bohol and some parts of Cebu yesterday, work at the temporary Hall of Justice at the Qimonda IT Center was suspended.

Court employees evacuated the building yesterday and gathered outside after the earthquake shook the building.

Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Soliver Peras ordered the suspension of work. It will “hopefully resume” today.

“There might be further aftershocks and I don’t want to risk the safety and the lives of court employees and litigants here in Qimonda,” he told reporters.

When asked if the building was inspected, Peras said: “Why there should be an inspector? Is there any damage? There’s no damage.”

For court stenographer Anife Dandan, getting inside the building would mean risking her life. She said that work was better off suspended to allow for any inspection.

“Kung ako lang di sa ko mosulod, ang nerbyos naa pa. Di ka maka-concentrate sa trabaho kay makulbaan ka maunsa ang building,” she told The FREEMAN.

Half-day work was likewise implemented at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office, while the office of the Provincial Prosecutor had not yet suspended work as of 1 p.m. yesterday.

Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba explained that they had to wait for the complainants from far-flung areas who were already on their way to conduct business.

The offices of the provincial prosecutor and city prosecutor occupy the ground level of the Palace of Justice building located behind the Capitol.

The Palace of Justice building has already been deemed unfit for occupancy after suffering serious damage following the October 15, 2013 earthquake, which caused the transfer of the RTCs and Municipal Trial Court in Cities to the Qimonda IT Center in the North Reclamation Area.

In City Hall, operations were interrupted for at least one hour as the employees and officials rushed outside the building owing to anticipated aftershocks.

Subsequently, business and other government transactions resumed after the Office of the Building Official checked the building and found no danger.

Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, reported that communications bogged down for 10 minutes due to “heavy network traffic.”

“Nagkaproblema gyod ta kadyot sa communication kay ni shut down labi na sa City Command Center. Handheld radios ra ang gamit sa pag-communicate sa mga barangays but minutes after the earthquake nibalik na sa normal ang tanan,” he said.

Tumulak also said there were no reported injuries and property damage in the city.

Mayor Michael Rama advised the public to pray and stay calm.

“There is no substitute for prayer and there is no substitute for being calm. So, if there’s earthquake do not panic. Listen to news and secure emergency numbers in case of disasters,” he said adding that recent disasters have made Cebuanos more prepared and vigilant. 

Following yesterday morning’s earthquake, Governor Hilario Davide III also sent home all workers at the Capitol.

“I’ve decided mag-half day lang kay naa pa’y aftershocks,” the governor said.

He said he was only informed of the earthquake while attending an event in Dalaguete town and that workers were reportedly running outside the building.

“I just want to ensure everybody’s safe, and for them also to go home and check their families,” he added.

Davide also assured the employees and the public that all buildings inside the Capitol premises did not suffer any damage.

He said all buildings were already checked by the Provincial Engineering Office. Capitol’s operations are expected to return to normal today. — with Michael Vencynth H. Braga, Kristine B. Quintas and Liv G. Campo/BRP (FREEMAN)