TWO persons died while several houses were damaged by a 5.1–magnitude earthquake that rocked Leyte at 6:26 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).

“I am asking the DILG [Department of Interior and Local Government] and DoH [Department of Health] for verification whether it was related to the earthquake or not. They are the ones authorized to release such statements,” NDRRMC spokesman Romina Marasigan told reporters in a text message.

The victims, residents of Ormoc City, were identified as Maria Colasito, 51, and Rosita Baloro, 70.

Marasigan said Colasito, of Barangay Naungan suffered an intracranial injury and based on the report, has a mental disorder while Baloro of Barangay San Jose, suffered cardiac arrest.

The tremor also rendered 56 houses slightly damaged in Barangay Altavista, Ormoc City just over a month after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Leyte and other parts of Visayas on July 6.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake’s epicenter was five kilometers northeast of Albuera and was recorded to be tectonic in origin.

It was felt strongest in Ormoc City at Intensity 5, Pastrana town at Intensity 4 and Tacloban City and Palo town at Intensity 3.

A Phivolcs bulletin added that damages are not expected while aftershocks are expected to shake some nearby towns and provinces.

Meanwhile, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said that power transmission services remain stable despite the 5.1-magnitude earthquake.

“The grid remains intact as there has been no reported cases of power interruptions,” the NGCP statement said.

Albuera town is located within the Central Leyte Fault line stretching from Villalon village in Calubian, Leyte and ending in San Francisco, Southern Leyte. </s> TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol- Michelle Barimbao, 28, had to buy kerosene at a gasoline station in the city since the sari-sari stores had ran out of supply after the blackout gripped the province following Thursday’s earthquake.

She said that after eating dinner, they just went to sleep because there was nothing much to do with no electricity.

 Some business establishments with no generator sets in the capital Tagbilaran City were closed.

Barimbao said the blackout reminded her of the aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda (International Name: Haiyan) on Nov. 8, 2013 that hit the province three weeks after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook Bohol and killed at least 200 people.

Yolanda affected the geothermal power plant in Leyte which caused the brownouts that lasted for more than a month.

Power had not resumed in Bohol as well as in Leyte, Southern Leyte and on Samar Island after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rocked Leyte at 4:03 p.m. on Thursday.

The quake caused a power transmission system to trip off and damaged power sources.

Bohol sources its power from Leyte since the province has no power source of its own.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) had not given a statement on when power would resume although source said the blackout could last three to four days.

“Power interruption will prolong as full assessment of transmission facilities is still to be completed,” said Betty Martinez, NGCP-Visayas spokesperson.

Based on its advisory on Friday morning, tower along the 138-kV Ormoc-Togonan Line in Ormoc City, Leyte was found leaning following an aerial and ground inspections .

NGCP has also mobilized six line gangs to temporarily restore the Ormoc-Togonan 138kV Line. Another line gang was sent to Kananga Switchyard, owned by Energy Development Corporation (EDC), to assist in restoration and to assess possible ways of extending power from the Tabango Substation to Ormoc Substation, the statement said.

NGCP’s Cebu-Leyte submarine cable, and its Tabango Substation in Leyte continue to transmit power to Leyte Electric Cooperative 5 that served the towns of Tabango, San Isidro, and Villaba.

“There is a complete loss of power in Bohol and Samar islands, and Southern Leyte. Due to supply deficiency caused by the outage of power plants located in Leyte, customers in Cebu, Negros, and Panay may also suffer occasional power interruptions,” said the NGCP advisory.

Since there was no power, several residents in Bohol also complained of no water supply.

“We don’t have power. We don’t have water. Where will we turn to,” asked Anabelle Magoncia, 45, a resident of Ubujan District.

In its advisory, the Bohol Light advised consumers to conserve batteries and water.

“Power plants & NGCP Sub-station in Leyte are shutdown and still on assessment period. Power restoration for Bohol may take long. Please take precautions to prevent fire, conserve water and remove plugs from outlets,” it said.

Many residents vented their frustration on social media.

“Yes of course, we really need to have our own energy source especially now that we have a new international airport and Bohol is progressing rapidly,” said Beryl Elizabeth Lupot.

Lupot, who works with a nongovernment organization in Tagbilaran, said there was a need for Bohol to have its own power source especially with its economic boom.

“Bohol has it all” (tagline sa tourism dba). Except its own energy source,” she added.

Another resident Keith Joseph Sepe posted on Facebook that Bohol had experienced a long Earth Day.

“Bohol needs their own Power Plant ge (should be) prioritize(d) unta na! Dili ang (not the) International airport,” Sepe said. He used the hashtags #Justsaying!! #BoholBlackout #Earthday #EarthquakeLeyte #PrayForLeyte.

Willy Ramasola also posted on Facebooks that the experience should make the local and national officials realize that Bohol should not be dependent on Leyte for its power source.

“Oh well. No need to learn past lessons as long as you make sure you win elections. And the people pay the painful price. Enjoy eating melted ice creams tonight, my fellow Boholanos,” said Ramasola. </s> MANILA: A 6.5-magnitude earthquake killed at least one person in the central Philippines yesterday, with at least five more people trapped inside a collapsed commercial building, officials said.

Rescuers pulled out six people from the three-storey structure in the town of Kananga, near the quake's epicentre on Leyte island, Kananga vice-mayor Elmer Codilla told AFP.

"There are still more people inside, maybe more than five. The rescue operation is ongoing," he added.

Two of those trapped managed to send text messages seeking help, the vice-mayor said.

Officials retrieved one body while six people were rescued without injuries, Mr Codilla said.

Mr Dominico Petilla, the governor of Leyte province, said rescue personnel, ambulances and heavy equipment have been sent to the mountainous town of about 50,000 people.

"They're still trying to pull out the injured," Mr Petilla told CNN Philippines.

The 10-year-old building housed a small hotel upstairs and shops on the ground floor, officials said.

The quake hit at a depth of around six kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

There was no immediate warning of a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Large parts of Leyte were devastated by super typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.

Huge tsunami-like waves smashed the city of Tacloban and nearby areas, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.

Tacloban and Ormoc, the island's other main city, escaped damage this time, residents contacted by telephone said. </s> The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the temblor at 4:03 p.m. with tectonic origin.

The areas which felt the earthquake at intensity five were Cebu City, Tacloban City and Palo (Leyte) and intensity four at Tolosa (Leyte) , Sagay City (Negros Occidental) and Burgos (Surigao Del Norte).

Quennie Sanchez Bronce, the reputation enhancement manager of Veco, said in an official statement that the earthquake in Leyte affected power generators in the area and likewise affected power supply transmitted to the Visayas; thus, the power interruptions being experienced within the VECO franchise at the moment.

VECO gets power from three power generators in Leyte — Green Core Geothermal, Aboitiz Energy Solutions and Vivant Energy Corp with a contracted capacity of 85.75 megawatts.

“We will wait for further developments from Leyte, and if the power supply will not stabilize, we will have to resort to rotational brownouts in the VECO franchise area,” Sanchez added.

Virgilio Fortich Jr., manager of Cebu Electric Cooperatives 3 (Cebeco 3), said that power interruptions were experienced in the towns of Asturias, Aloguinsan, Balamaban, Toledo City and Pinamungajan.

“Ni shutdown ang Toledo Power Company as part of their system and protection protocol. After 15 minutes, power resumed,” Fortich told CDN.

Intensity three was also recorded in Bogo City, northern Cebu and Calatrava (Negros Occidental).

According to Brigada News FM Bogo report, some barangays in Bogo City experienced power outage after the earthquake.

Libjo, Dinagat Islands experienced intensity two while intensity one was recorded in Roxas City (Capiz) and La Carlota City (Negros Occidental). </s> A strong, shallow earthquake shook the central Philippines on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and injuring more than 100, including several in a collapsed building where others were trapped, officials said.

At Least 10 Injured in Philippines Quake (The Weather Channel/Inform)

TACLOBAN, Philippines — A strong, shallow earthquake shook the central Philippines on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and injuring more than 100, including several in a collapsed building where others were trapped, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.5 and struck at a depth of 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) in Leyte province. Filipino seismologists measured the depth at just 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and said the quake, caused by movement of the Philippine Fault, was felt most strongly in Leyte’s Kananga town.

Shallow earthquakes generally cause more damage on the Earth’s surface.

A building collapsed in Kananga, killing one person, injuring more than 20 others and trapping at least six, Kananga Mayor Rowena Codilla told DZMM radio.

One person was pulled out from the building alive but injured, Codilla said. She said rescuers are digging a hole in an effort to reach the six others.

“They’re alive because they are communicating with our disaster people,” she said, adding that the rescuers were moving carefully to prevent the rest of the building from tumbling down.

The building had a grocery store, a hardware store and a beauty parlor on the ground floor and a guest house on the second floor, she said.

The quake caused power outages in Kananga and outlying areas.

Thousands of residents, office workers and students fled from homes, buildings and schools, with some falling over as the ground shook. Many refused to return home because of aftershocks.

Mayor Richard Gomez of Ormoc city, about 30 kilometers (17 miles) from Kananga, told DZMM that a landslide hit a house and killed a young woman. More than 100 others were injured in the area, including many who were “traumatized and hysterical,” he said.

The strong shaking caused cracks in some buildings and roads in the city and power was automatically shut off, Gomez said.

Ormoc’s airport will be closed starting Friday to allow an inspection, officials said.

Delia Vilbar, the treasurer of Ormoc, said she was attending a meeting on the second floor of City Hall when the earthquake struck.

“It was very strong, and the building was shaking,” she said. “I sat down while others in the room went under the table.”

When she went outside to the street, she saw people crying and embracing each other, she said.

Asked about the earthquake, President Rodrigo Duterte, who was visiting southern Bukidnon province, said he had not received any reports of major damage.

The quake struck in a region that was devastated in November 2013 by Typhoon Haiyan, which whipped up huge waves that left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, leveled entire villages and displaced more than 5 million villagers. Tacloban city, which was hard hit by Haiyan, lost electrical power after Thursday’s earthquake.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where earthquakes and volcanoes are common. A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990. </s> The epicenter of the Visayas earthquake on Tuesday, April 23, is located in Eastern Samar

MANILA, Philippines – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck parts of the Visayas at 1:37 pm on Tuesday, April 23.

In a bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the epicenter of the earthquake was located in Eastern Samar.

Intensity V was felt in Tacloban City, Leyte, and in Catbalogan City, Samar.

Phivolcs warned that damage and aftershocks are expected.

The Visayas earthquake hit just a day after a magnitude 6.1 tremor rocked parts of Luzon, causing deaths, injuries, and damage. – Rappler.com </s> TWO people died after a 5.1 magnitude quake jolted Albuera, Leyte early morning on Wednesday, August 23.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the epicenter of the earthquake northeast of Albuera at 6:26 AM.

Vince Emnas, Ormoc City Administrator, confirmed two people died in the quake.

51-year old Maria Colasito of Barangay Naungan in Ormoc City suffered a fatal head injury. While a resident of Barangay San Jose, 70-year old Rosita Baloro, died after suffering a heart attack.

Emnas said the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has yet to verify reports of an injured person.

He also added that the quake resulted to minor infrastructure damages.

“Dili kaayo grabe og impact ang earthquake because it happened very early. People were still at home. So, empty pa ang streets, ang mga schools. Ang hospital ug hotels lang nato ang naghimo og precautionary evacuations (The earthquake didn’t have a huge impact because it happened very early. People were still at home. The streets and schools were still empty. But hospitals and hotels made precautionary evacuations),” Emnas said.

Whie Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte felt the earthquake at Intensity 3.

Benjamin Pongos, Jr., the acting mayor of Ormoc City, announced the suspension of classes in all levels in the city.

Ormoc and parts of Leyte are still reeling from a strong 6.5 magnitude quake in July. </s> A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the Philippines main island of Luzon on Monday and several people were killed in collapsed buildings, media reported.

The quake struck 60 km (37 miles) northwest of the capital, Manila, at a depth of 40 km (25 miles), the U.S Geological Survey (USGS).

The governor of Pampanga province told a radio station that several people had been killed. Media reported some structures had collapsed and the Clark International Airport, a former U.S. military base, had suffered some damage and had closed.

Tall buildings swayed in Manila’s main business district and some people evacuated their offices.

The Philippines is on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a horse-shoe shaped band of volcanoes and fault lines circling the edges of the Pacific Ocean. </s> (4th UPDATE) Phivolcs warns that damage and aftershocks are expected

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the province of Leyte on Thursday afternoon, July 6.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake hit off Jaro, Leyte at 4:03 pm.

Phivolcs also warned that damage and aftershocks are expected.

The following intensities were recorded:
• Intensity IV – Catbalogan City; Cabucgayan and Naval in Biliran; Tolosa and Bato in Leyte; Hinunangan, Southern Leyte; Sagay City, Negros Occidental; Burgos, Surigao del Norte; Biliran, Leyte
• Intensity III – Bogo City and Talisay City in Cebu; Roxas City; Iloilo City; Bacolod City; Inopacan and Baybay in Leyte; Sogod, Southern Leyte; Calatrava, Negros Occidental; Tagbilaran City; Jagna, Bohol; Borongan, Eastern Samar; Guihulngan City and Tayasan in Negros Oriental; Cadiz City, Toboso, and Escalante in Negros Occidental
• Intensity II – Libjo, San Jose, and Cagdianao in Dinagat Islands; Sorsogon City; Lapu-Lapu City; San Juan, Southern Leyte; Javier, Leyte; Tansay and Sibulan in Negros Oriental; Sorsogon City

Dagami municipal administrator Boy Amante said there were no casualties or damage in the town proper, but disaster risk reduction officials and police are still checking the situation in more than 60 barangays there.

Marlon Tano, a Leyte farmer and journalist, told Agence France-Presse the quake knocked him off his feet at his eggplant farm in Borauen, a town near the quake's epicenter.

"It was so strong that I fell," Tano said.

"I saw buses and motorcyles stopping on the highway and people getting off them," he added.

In Cebu City, city administrator Nigel Paul Villarete suspended work at the city hall 4:25 pm onwards as engineers checked on executive and legislative buildings.

There was no immediate warning of a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

Leyte was the hardest hit when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck in November 2013, bringing torrential rains and storm surges. Yolanda left 6,300 people dead and 1,062 others missing. (READ: IN NUMBERS: 3 years after Super Typhoon Yolanda)

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth's quakes and volcanic eruptions occur. – with reports from Jazmin Bonifacio & Agence France-Presse / Rappler.com
At least two are killed and power supply is interrupted in Eastern Visayas and Bohol when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hits the province of Leyte in the Philippines (InterAksyon)