Philippine seismologists have assured residents of Bohol province that a recent series of mild earthquakes should not cause alarm, and may actually help prevent stronger tremors in the future.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the tremors, which have been occurring in the eastern part of Bohol, particularly in Anda and Loay towns, indicate normal activity along the North Mindanao Fault and Bohol South Offshore Fault.
“These movements are beneficial as they help release stress on the fault,” a PHIVOLCS spokesperson said. “If the energy is not released periodically, there is a higher chance for a strong earthquake.”
The most recent tremor, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, struck 7 kilometers northwest of Loay on October 22, with a depth of 10 kilometers. No damage or casualties were reported.
However, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is not taking chances.
The agency has been conducting preparedness drills, warning that the Bohol South Offshore Fault could potentially trigger an earthquake similar to the devastating 2013 tremor that struck the province.
PDRRMO chief Anthony Damalerio said the underwater fault, which threatens coastal towns from Baclayon to Candijay, “is moving periodically but in a miniscule fashion.”
“Based on PHIVOLCS studies, this fault could cause the next major earthquake in Bohol,” Damalerio told AFP.
He urged residents to maintain disaster preparedness measures, noting that earthquakes can occur without warning.
The 2013 Bohol earthquake, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale, claimed more than 200 lives and destroyed numerous historical buildings and infrastructure across the province.`