Earthquakes are frequent in the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic as well as volcanic activity that extends from Japan into Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin.
Most are too weak to be felt by humans, but also come in strong and devastating, with no technology available to predict when and where they will hit.
The nation’s Office of Civil Defense regularly conducts exercises simulating earthquake scenarios along active fault lines.
The last major earthquake hit the northern Philippines in October.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the mountain town of Dolores in Abra province, injuring several people, damaging buildings and cutting off power to much of the area.
Last July, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Mount Abra triggered landslides and cracks in the ground, killing 11 people and injuring several hundred.