KORONADAL CITY – Earthquakes have continued to jolt parts of Sultan Kudarat province for two weeks, with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) recording a total of 3,319 quakes since January 19. Of these, 1,010 quakes were plotted by monitoring stations, with 114 felt as of 8 a.m., ranging in magnitude from 1.3 to 5.9. Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu lifted the suspension of classes and public office work effective Monday after two weeks of disruptions but ordered modular classes in Kalamansig, Lebak, and Palimbang (Kalepa) until face-to-face classes are deemed safe. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) continues to monitor the situation and conduct safety assessments. Despite the thousands of quakes, no casualties or major infrastructural damages have been reported. Mangudadatu emphasized prioritizing safety, stating he would suspend classes again if necessary. Sultan Kudarat is experiencing an earthquake swarm, a sequence of many small-to-moderate quakes in a specific area over a short time without a dominant mainshock. Since Monday, the highest magnitude recorded was 3.9, striking 41 kilometers southwest of Kalamansig at a depth of 21 km. As of last Friday, PHIVOLCS recorded 2,640 quakes offshore Kalamansig, with 792 plotted and 91 felt. Preemptive evacuations were ordered in coastal villages of Kalamansig and Lebak amid tsunami concerns. The quakes have affected 13,192 families or 59,185 individuals in the Kalepa area, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Region 12.
