‘Philippine Fault in Leyte ripe for strong earthquake

PALO, LEYTE, Philippines — A possible strong earthquake might struck the central portion of Leyte, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), citing “significant shaking,’ which did not occur in more than hundred years, in this part of the province.

This was the warning of Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum during a meeting with local reporters on Wednesday, saying that the “100-meter portion of the Philippine Fault system—stretching from Albuera to Mahaplag towns in Leyte—is ripe enough for a strong earthquake.”

Solidum said: “If the fault line in the central part of Leyte would move at magnitude 7.2, consequently, an Intensity 8 earthquake may affect many populated areas of Leyte.”

The Phivolcs official, who was in Leyte regarding this concern, said movements of the Philippine fault in this area had been triggered by the recent shaking of a connected fault line segment, “such as the July 6, 2017 earthquake that struck Kananga town in Leyte and Ormoc City.”

Solidum however said Phivolcs could not determine when the major earthquake will happen. “People have to be aware,” he said though, and asked local government units to start relocating houses within the fault lines.

Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, for his part, said LGUs have been preparing already for this possible eventuality. “Apart from implementing the updated National Building Code, we will also come up with a local building code to ensure that concrete buildings are safe from earthquakes,” he said.

A report from the Philippine News Agency stated that the fault line in Leyte island “is part of the 1,200-km.-long Philippine fault zone, a major tectonic feature that transects the whole Philippine archipelago from northwestern Luzon to southeastern Mindanao.”

PNA added: “This arc-parallel and left-lateral strike slip fault is divided into several segments and has been the source of large-magnitude earthquakes in recent years, such as the 1973 Ragay Gulf earthquake (magnitude 7), 1990 Luzon earthquake (magnitude 7.7), and 2003 Masbate earthquake (magnitude 6.2).”

Solidum further said that the seismic station in Palo town of Leyte has been monitoring movements of the Philippine Fault and Philippine Trench. “The location of this station is ideal since Leyte is on top of a bedrock,” he added. —PNA reports