AFTERSHOCK ALERT: 5.4 quake hits Albay roads crack; alert up

By Rhaydz Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Legazpi City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) on Saturday urged residents to remain vigilant against possible aftershocks and inspect their homes and buildings for damage after a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Albay on Friday night.

The CDRRMO, which recorded Intensity V shaking in Legazpi City based on the Philippine Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS), advised the public to remain calm but alert and avoid areas where there is a risk of collapsing structures or falling objects.

“Everyone is advised to remain calm but alert and exercise caution against possible aftershocks. Inspect your home or building for cracks or damage,” the advisory said.

The office also urged residents to prepare emergency go bags, secure important documents, and rely only on official announcements from concerned government agencies. The CDRRMO said it continues to monitor the situation and coordinate with barangays for any necessary action.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Albay led by Gov. Noel Rosal conducted a damage assessment together with the Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) following the earthquake.

Based on an initial assessment conducted Saturday, Rosal reported damage to ongoing projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Sitio Balite, Barangay Alimsog, Sto. Domingo town, the earthquake's epicenter.

Among the damaged structures were an ongoing pier project and a soil protection project that reportedly collapsed following the tremor.

“We are conducting a damage assessment to check the impact and effect of the 5.4 earthquake magnitude. In Sitio Balite, Barangay Alimsog, Sto. Domingo, damages were reported from the ongoing projects of DPWH (pier and soil protection), validation is still ongoing,” Rosal said.

APSEMO chief Oscar Cristobal, along with Provincial Engineering Office head Engr. Dante Baclao and a team of structural engineers, conducted a rapid damage assessment in affected areas, particularly in Sto. Domingo and other locations that experienced stronger ground shaking.

Authorities reported damage to roads, houses, and government infrastructure in Sto. Domingo and in Cagraray Island in Bacacay town.

Residents in Sto. Domingo posted photographs showing a long crack along a road network in Sitio Balite, while similar road cracks were also reported in portions of Cagraray Island.

In Legazpi City, a large rock detached from Kapuntukan Hill, popularly known as Sleeping Lion Hill, and rolled onto a roadway near the Kapuntukan Food Lane and Sawangan Park along the Legazpi City Boulevard shortly after the earthquake.

Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Legazpi City immediately responded and cleared the rock from the area.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the magnitude 5.4 tectonic earthquake occurred at 9:58 p.m. on June 5 with a depth of 10 kilometers. Its epicenter was located about 13 kilometers southeast of Sto. Domingo, Albay.

Phivolcs recorded Intensity V in Sto. Domingo and Legazpi City; Intensity IV in the cities of Tabaco and Ligao and the municipality of Malilipot in Albay, as well as in Cogon, Irosin, and Donsol in Sorsogon.

Intensity III was reported in Naga City, Malinao in Albay, and Sorsogon City, Prieto Diaz, and Juban in Sorsogon, while Intensity II was recorded in Goa, Camarines Sur.