| Earthquakes in the Philippines | |
| Label1: | Largest |
| Data1: | 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake |
| Label2: | Deadliest |
| Data2: | 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake 5,000–8,000 killed |
The Philippines lies within the zone of complex interaction between several tectonic plates, involving multiple subduction zones and one large zone of strike-slip, all of which are associated with major earthquakes. Many intraplate earthquakes of smaller magnitude also occur very regularly due to the interaction between the major tectonic plates in the region. The largest historical earthquake in the Philippines was the 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake with .
Much of the Philippines lie within the area of strongly tectonised blocks of mainly island arc origin, known as the Philippine Mobile Belt. To the east, Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath the mobile belt along the line of the Philippine Trench and the East Luzon Trench at the northern end of the belt. The convergence across this boundary is strongly oblique and the strike-slip component is accommodated by movement on the left lateral Philippine fault system. To the south of the Philippines lies the Molucca Sea Collision Zone, which involves opposite facing subduction zones to either side of the Molucca Sea plate. To the west of the mobile belt the Sunda plate is subducting eastwards beneath the belt along the lines of the Manila, Negros and Cotabato trenches. Within the Sunda plate, the oceanic crust of the Sulu Sea is subducting beneath the Sulu Ridge along the Sulu Trench.[1] The Sunda plate carries with it parts of the Palawan Microcontinental Block, which has collided with the mobile belt at the Negros and Cotabato trenches.[2]
The continuing movement of the tectonic plates leads to active faulting within the mobile belt, such as on the left lateral Cotabato Fault System that cuts across Mindanao and the right lateral Marikina Valley fault system on Luzon.
The subduction zones that surround most of the archipelago are the source of many of the larger earthquakes that strike the Philippines. This includes both faulting along the plate interfaces and within the subducting slabs. For the Philippine Trench, examples of those on the plate interface are the 1988 7.3 and the 2023 M7.6 events. The 1975 7.6 earthquake was caused by intra-slab normal faulting, while the 2012 M7.6 was a result of thrust faulting within the descending slab.[3]
The relatively young Cotabato Trench subduction zone has been associated with several large megathrust earthquakes, including the 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake (M8.3), the 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake (M8.0) and the 2002 Mindanao earthquake (M7.5).[4]
The longest and most seismically active of the strike-slip structures is the 1200 km long Philippine Fault Zone.[5] It carries the left lateral component of the oblique convergence at the Philippine Trench, with a current estimated slip-rate of 35 ± 4 mm per year on Leyte, reducing northwards to about 20 mm per year on Luzon. On Luzon, the fault zone splays out into a number of different faults, including the Digdig Fault. One of the largest historical earthquake on the fault zone was the 1990 Luzon 7.8 event that left nearly 2,000 people dead or missing. The same part of the fault zone is thought to have ruptured in the 1645 Luzon earthquake.[6] Further south the fault ruptured during the 1973 Ragay Gulf earthquake.
In central Mindanao, the Cotabato fault system consists of a mixture of NW-SE trending left lateral and SW-NE trending right lateral strike-slip faults. Four of these ruptured in the 2019 Cotabato and Davao del Sur earthquakes, each generating events with magnitudes of 6.4 or greater.[7]
Given the presence of major fault zones throughout the archipelago, any part of the Philippines may be affected by earthquakes, apart from parts of Palawan, where the seismic hazard risk is comparatively low. The greatest shaking hazard comes from shallow crustal faulting close to the Manila, Davao and Cebu metropolitan areas. Active reverse faults have >20 km wide zones of peak ground acceleration (PGA) >0.6g (acceleration due to gravity) for a 10% probability of exceedance (PoE) in a 50-year period, while active strike-slip faults have narrower zones centered around the fault traces at a similar level. All areas close to active subduction zones show increased hazard.[8]
In Metro Manila the estimated hazard has a mean PGA of 0.32 g for a PoE of 10% in 50 years. The main hazard comes from shallow fault sources, such as the Marikina Valley Fault System, but there is an important contribution to the overall hazard from the Manila subduction zone to the west and the potential for strong shaking from earthquakes originating the Philippines Trench to the east. In Metro Cebu, the mean PGA is also 0.32 g for the same PoE and period. The hazard is dominated by shallow crustal fault zones from this area of ongoing compressional tectonics. Using the same parameters Metro Davao has the higher value of 0.45 g. The metropolitan area sits close to shallow faults of left lateral strike-slip and oblique reverse type, and these generate the greatest hazard, although a significant contribution comes from sources in the Halmahera and Philippine subduction zones.[8]
| Date | Time‡ | Place | Magnitude | Intensity | Casualties | Notes | Sources | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1601 January 16 | 16:00 | Manila | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> | < | --Casualties--> Several | Earthquake duration lasted about 7 minutes. Aftershocks experienced the whole year. | [9] [10] | |
| 1645 November 30 | 20:00 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude--> 7.5 | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> 600 dead, 3,000 injured | Dubbed as the "most terrible earthquake" in the annals of the Philippines. Greatly damaged ten newly constructed cathedrals in Manila, residential villas and buildings in the city and nearby provinces. Provinces in the north reported several alteration of the ground, disappearances of small villages, changes in the river course, sand eruptions, etc. Small tsunamis were reported in southern Luzon. | < | --Sources--> |
| 1645 December 5 | 23:00 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties--> | Major aftershock of the November 30, 1645 Luzon earthquake that further destroyed remaining buildings in Manila and nearby towns. Aftershocks ceased around March 1646. | < | --Sources--> |
| 1665 June 19 | Manila | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties--> 19 | Only the Jesuit Church experienced great damage. | < | --Sources--> | |
| 1743 January 12 | 08:00 | Luzon: Tayabas, Laguna | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties-->5 deaths | < | --Sources--> | |
| 1787 July 13 | 07:00 | Panay: Iloilo, Antique, Buenavista | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> Many | 15 deaths in one building | < | --Sources--> |
| 1840 March 22 | Sorsogon, Masbate Island, Casiguran, Albay | < | --Magnitude--> 6.5 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 17 | 200 injured | |||
| 1852 September 16 | 18:45 | Luzon: Batnam, Rizal, Pampangan, Manila | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 3 | |||
| 1863 June 3 | 19:20 | Manila, Balangan, Rizal | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> 400 | 1863 Manila earthquake | ||
| 1879 July 1 | 00:50 | NW Mindanao, Surigao | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> | 1879 Surigao earthquake | ||
| 1880 July 14–24[11] | 04:40 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude--> | align=center data-sort-value="10" | X | < | --Casualties--> | Caused severe damage to these major cities in Luzon: Manila (Buildings collapsed) | < | --Sources--> |
| 1892 March 16 | 20:58 | Luzon: Abra, Pangasinan, La Union | < | --Magnitude--> | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> 2 | |||
| 1897 September 21 | 13:15 | NW Mindanao, Dapitan | < | --Magnitude--> 8.7 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 13–100+ (second event) | 1897 Mindanao earthquakes A pair of large earthquakes off Mindanao |
| Date | Time‡ | Place | Magnitude | Intensity | Casualties | Notes | Sources | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 April 18 | 05:00 | SE Luzon, Camarines | < | --Magnitude-->7.6 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 2 dead | |||
| 1911 July 12 | Mindanao: Talacogon, Davao, Butuan | < | --Magnitude-->7.8 | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> | Caused seiches in lakes and the Agusan River. Many homes damaged in Talacogon and Butuan | |||
| 1918 August 15 | 20:18 | Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->8.3 | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> 46 dead | 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake | ||
| 1924 April 15 | 00:20 | E. Mindanao | < | --Magnitude-->8.3 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> | |||
| 1925 May 5 | 18:07 | W. Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->6.8 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 17 dead | |||
| 1928 December 19 | 19:37 | Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->7.3 | < | --Intensity--> VII | < | --Casualties--> 93 dead | |||
| 1937 August 20 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->7.5 | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties--> 1 dead, 200 injured | ||||
| 1948 January 25 | 01:46 | Panay, Iloilo City, Antique | < | --Magnitude-->7.8 | < | --Intensity--> X | < | --Casualties--> 72 dead | 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake | ||
| 1954 July 2 | 10:45 | Sorsogon, Bacon, Legaspi | < | --Magnitude-->6.8 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 13 dead, 101 injured | |||
| 1955 April 1 | 02:17 | Lanao, Ozamiz, Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->7.6 | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties--> 400 dead | 1955 Lanao earthquake | [12] | |
| 1968 August 2 | 04:19 | Luzon, Manila | < | --Magnitude-->7.3 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 270 dead, 261 injured | 1968 Casiguran earthquake | [13] | |
| 1970 April 7 | 13:34 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->7.3 | < | --Intensity--> VI | < | --Casualties--> 15 dead, 200 injured | |||
| 1973 March 17 | 16:30 | Ragay Gulf | < | --Magnitude-->7.5 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 15 dead, ~100 injured | 1973 Ragay Gulf earthquake | [14] | |
| 1976 August 17 | 00:11 | Moro Gulf | < | --Magnitude-->8.0 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties--> 8,000 dead, 10,000 injured | 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake | ||
| 1983 August 17 | 20:17 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->6.5 | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties--> 16 dead, 47 injured | 1983 Luzon earthquake | ||
| 1985 April 24 | Luzon: Benguet, Baguio | < | --Magnitude-->6.1 | < | --Intensity--> VII | < | --Casualties--> 6 dead, 11 injured | ||||
| 1988 June 19 | 04:19 | Mindoro: San Jose, Calapan | < | --Magnitude-->6.2 | < | --Intensity--> VII | < | --Casualties--> 2 dead, 2 injured | 1988 Mindoro earthquake | [15] | |
| 1990 February 8 | 15:15 | Bohol | < | --Magnitude-->6.8 | < | --Intensity--> VII | < | --Casualties--> 6 dead, >200 injured | 1990 Bohol Sea earthquake | [16] | |
| 1990 June 14 | 15:41 | Panay | < | --Magnitude-->7.1 | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties--> 8 dead, 41 injured | 1990 Panay earthquake | ||
| 1990 July 16 | 16:26 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->7.8 | < | --Intensity--> IX | < | --Casualties--> 2,412 dead, 3,000 injured | 1990 Luzon earthquake | ||
| 1994 November 14 | 03:15 | Mindoro | < | --Magnitude-->7.1 | < | --Intensity--> VII | < | --Casualties--> 81 dead, 225 injured | 1994 Mindoro earthquake | ||
| 1999 December 12 | 02:03 | Zambales | < | --Magnitude-->7.3 | < | --Intensity--> VIII | < | --Casualties-->6 dead, 40 injured | 1999 Luzon earthquake | [17] |
| Date | Time‡ | Place | Magnitude | Intensity | Casualties | Notes | Sources | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 January 1 | 14:57 | Mindanao | < | --Magnitude-->7.5 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties--> | ||||
| 2002 March 6 | 05:16 | Mindanao | < | --Magnitude-->7.5 | < | --Intensity-->IX | < | --Casualties-->15 dead, 100+ injured | 2002 Mindanao earthquake | |||
| 2003 November 19 | 01:14 | Samar | < | --Magnitude-->6.5 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->1 dead, 21 injured | ||||
| 2010 July 24 | Mindanao | < | --Magnitude-->7.3, 7.6, 7.5 | < | --Intensity-->III | < | --Casualties--> | 2010 Mindanao earthquakes triplet earthquake, deep focus events | [18] | |||
| 2012 February 6 | 11:49 | Negros | < | --Magnitude-->6.7 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->113 dead, 112 injured | 2012 Negros earthquake | [19] | ||
| 2012 August 31 | 20:47 | Samar | < | --Magnitude-->7.6 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->1 dead, 1 injured | 2012 Samar earthquake | [20] | ||
| 2013 October 15 | 08:12 | Bohol | < | --Magnitude-->7.2 | < | --Intensity-->IX | < | --Casualties-->222 dead, 976 injured | 2013 Bohol earthquake | [21] | ||
| 2017 February 10 | 22:03 | Surigao | < | --Magnitude-->6.5 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties-->8 dead, 200 injured | 2017 Surigao earthquake | [22] | ||
| 2017 July 6 | 16:03 | Leyte | < | --Magnitude-->6.5 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties-->4 dead, 100+ injured | 2017 Leyte earthquake | [23] | ||
| 2019 April 22 | 17:11 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->6.1 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->18 dead, 256 injured | 2019 Luzon earthquake | [24] | ||
| 2019 April 23 | 13:37 | Eastern Samar | < | --Magnitude-->6.5 | < | --Intensity-->VI | < | --Casualties-->48 injured | 2019 Eastern Samar earthquake | [25] | ||
| 2019 July 9 | 20:36 | Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->5.6 | < | --Intensity-->VI | < | --Casualties-->1 dead, 73 injured | July 2019 Cotabato earthquake | [26] | ||
| 2019 July 27 | 07:37 | Batanes | < | --Magnitude-->6.0 | < | --Intensity-->VI | < | --Casualties-->9 dead, 60 injured | 2019 Batanes earthquake | [27] | ||
| 2019 October 16 | 19:37 | Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->6.4 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties-->7 dead, 215 injured | < | --Notes-->2019 Cotabato earthquakes | < | -- Sources -->[28] [29] |
| 2019 October 29 | 09:04 | Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->6.6 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | 24 dead, 563 injured | |||||
| 2019 October 31 | 09:11 | Cotabato | < | --Magnitude-->6.5 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | ||||||
| 2019 December 15 | 14:11 | Davao del Sur | < | --Magnitude-->6.8 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->13 dead, 210 injured | 2019 Davao del Sur earthquake | [30] | ||
| 2020 August 18 | 08:03 | Masbate | < | --Magnitude-->6.6 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties-->2 dead, 170 injured | 2020 Masbate earthquake | [31] | ||
| 2021 August 12 | 01:46 | Davao Oriental | < | --Magnitude-->7.1 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->1 dead | 2021 Davao Oriental earthquake | [32] | ||
| 2022 July 27 | 08:43 | Luzon | < | --Magnitude-->7.0 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties-->11 dead, 615 injured | 2022 Luzon earthquake | [33] | ||
| 2023 November 17 | 16:14 | Mindanao | < | --Magnitude-->6.7 | < | --Intensity-->VIII | < | --Casualties-->11 dead, 730 injured | November 2023 Mindanao earthquake | [34] | ||
| 2023 December 2 | 22:37 | Mindanao | < | --Magnitude-->7.6 | < | --Intensity-->VII | < | --Casualties-->3 dead, 79 injured | December 2023 Mindanao earthquake | [35] | ||
| Ten deadliest recorded earthquakes in the Philippines since the 1600s | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Date | Deaths | Missing | Injured | Damage | Source | |||
| 1 | 8.0 | Moro Gulf | August 16, 1976 | 4,791 | 2,288 | 9,928 | |||
| 2 | 7.8 | Luzon Island | July 16, 1990 | 1,621 | 1,000 | >3,000 | ₱ 10 billion | ||
| 3 | Unknown | Manila | June 3, 1863 | 1,000 | |||||
| 4 | 7.5 | Luzon Island | November 30, 1645 | >600 | >3,000 | Unknown | |||
| 5 | 8.1 | Mati, Davao Oriental | April 14, 1924 | ~500 | [36] [37] | ||||
| 6 | 7.4 | Lanao del Sur | April 1, 1955 | >400 | Unknown | US$5 million | [38] | ||
| 7 | 7.6 | Casiguran, Aurora | August 2, 1968 | 271 | 261 | ||||
| 8 | 7.2 | Bohol and Cebu | October 15, 2013 | 222 | 8 | 796 | ₱ 4 billion (est.) | [39] | |
| 9 | 6.7 | Negros Oriental | February 6, 2012 | 113 | 112 | ₱ 383 million | |||
| 10 | 7.1 | Mindoro | November 15, 1994 | 78 | 430 | ₱ 5.15 million | [40] | ||