Predawn quake jolts Eastern Visayas anew

Barely 24 hours after being jolted by a predawn quake, residents in parts of Eastern Visayas had another rude awakening Wednesday from a magnitude-5 quake. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was recorded at 5:50 a.m. Wednesday, and was tectonic in origin. Phivolcs said the epicenter was 24 km northwest of Borongan town in Eastern Samar. It said the quake was felt at Intensity IV in Borongan, Eastern Samar and Sulat, Eastern Samar; Intensity III in Taft, Catbalogan City, and Can-Avid and Llorente towns in Eastern Samar; Intensity II in Tacloban and Calbayog Cities and Gen. MacArthur and Mercedes towns in Eastern Samar. While Phivolcs said it did not expect damage to property, it advised residents to expect possible aftershocks. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey recorded the quake as magnitude 4.9, with the epicenter at 70 km northeast of Tacloban in Leyte; 90 km north northwest of Guiuan, Samar; 90 km east southeast of Calbayog, Samar; or 570 km east southeast of Manila. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV