UPDATED
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 28 January) — A Magnitude 5.4 tectonic earthquake before dawn Wednesday prompted the suspension of classes at all levels and work in government offices in the coastal towns of Kalamansig, Lebak, and Palimbang (Kalepa) in Sultan Kudarat province.
Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu issued Executive Order 98, ordering the suspensions due to potential risks from the quake and aftershocks. Classes were also suspended across the rest of the province.
“It is necessary to take immediate precautionary measures to ensure the safety and welfare of the public,” he said. Mangudadatu advised residents in Kalamansig and Lebak to avoid damaged structures.
Emergency response teams, disaster risk management personnel, and health services remain operational. The suspensions will stay in effect until further notice.
The quake struck at 1:05 a.m., 42 km southwest of Kalamansig at a depth of nine km, according to PHIVOLCS. Around 350 families in Lebak evacuated, with similar reports in Kalamansig.
The tremor was felt at Intensity 4 in Palimbang and Lebak; Intensity 3 in Esperanza (Sultan Kudarat) and Norala (South Cotabato); and Intensity 2 in parts of North Cotabato, Sarangani, and South Cotabato. PHIVOLCS recorded over 80 aftershocks, ranging from Magnitude 1.1 to 5.2.
Fishing activities were temporarily banned due to seismic risks. Last week, similar suspensions were imposed after an earthquake swarm.
On August 17, 1976, a Magnitude 8.2 quake triggered a tsunami that devastated Mindanao, killing around 8,000 people, including in Sultan Kudarat’s coastal towns. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
