PHIVOLCS: 3,570 offshore earthquakes logged in Sultan Kudarat since January

A total of 3,570 offshore earthquakes in Sultan Kudarat has been recorded since January, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said on Sunday.

In a social media post, PHIVOLCS said 120 of these 3,570 offshore earthquakes were felt by the public, with the recorded magnitudes ranging from magnitude 1.3 to 5.9.

“Recent monitoring shows that the number of earthquakes per day has generally decreased since the peak in late January. At the height of the swarm, DOST-PHIVOLCS recorded up to 833 earthquakes in a single 24-hour period on 27–28 January 2026,” the PHIVOLCS said. 

“By early February, daily earthquake counts had dropped to only tens per day – for example, 19 earthquakes were recorded on 06–07 February. This trend indicates that the earthquake swarm is gradually weakening, although occasional felt earthquakes may still happen,” it added.

PHIVOLCS stressed that the time, location, and magnitude of the earthquakes are unpredictable. 

“It is not possible to determine when, where, or how strong the next earthquake will be – whether there is an ongoing swarm or not,” state seismologists said.

“For this reason, the public is strongly reminded to remain prepared at all times, practice Duck, Cover, and Hold, secure homes and workplaces, and stay informed through official DOST-PHIVOLCS advisories,” they added.

Earlier, PHIVOLCS said the earthquake swarm in the area may have been caused by movements along the Cotabato Trench.

The swarm may have been caused by stress slowly being released along the trench, it added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News