Magnitude-4.4 quake hits Central Visayas

A magnitude-4.4 quake hit Central Visayas early Friday morning, jolting awake residents of Dumaguete City but not expected to cause damages. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) seismologist Rommel Grutas said the quake struck at 8:17 a.m. and was traced 15 km southwest of Dumaguete City. "It was felt at Intensity V in Dumaguete City. Maraming makaramdam dahil malakas (Many felt it because it was powerful)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. But when asked about the chances of damages, he said damage is likely if the quake were more powerful, at Intensity VI or VII. The United States Geological Service (USGS) said the quake measured Magnitude 5 on its sensors. It traced the epicenter 15 km south of Dumaguete, or 70 km north of Dipolog in Mindanao. Officials of Dumaguete's city hall said that while it was the first time it experienced such a quake, no casualty or damage was reported, even as children were reportedly evacuated from their schools. "The children were evacuated properly because they had undergone earthquake and fire drills," secretary Rod Lagait told dzBB radio. - GMANews.TV