DIFFERENT FAULT LINES IN THE

PHILIPPINES

The Philippine Fault System is a huge interconnected system of geological faults spanning the
whole Philippine Archipelago, principally created by tectonic pressures squeezing the
Philippines into the Philippine Mobile Belt, as described by geophysicists. The Guinayangan,
Masbate, and Leyte faults are some of the most well-known Philippine faults.
 Lubang-Verde Passage Fault System- is a strike-slip fault that runs offshore between
Batangas Peninsula and Mindoro Island, following the northwest–southeast alignment of
Verde and Lubang islands.
 Sibuyan Sea Fault – located offshore north of Masbate, Sarewitz and Lewis concluded
that the Sibuyan Sea Fault is relayed with the Verde Passage Fault, both left-lateral faults,
by an aborted spreading center under a transtensional tectonic regime, based on
bathymetric and paleomagnetic data collected in the northern section of the Sibuyan Sea.
 Legaspi Lineament – long SE-trending linear feature emanating from Pasacao in the
Ragay Gulf area, passing through Lake Bato then to Legaspi City and considering its
morphological prominence and seismic activity, it deserves to be elevated in category
from a less significant lineament to a fault.
 Tablas Lineament – tectonic boundary between the North Palawan microcontinental
block and the western edge of the Philippine Mobile Belt. It trends northerly as it
separates Busuanga peninsula from the Antique Range in Panay Island, and passes
offshore northwards east of Tablas Island. The present geodynamic setting of the
Philippines obliges the Tablas Lineament to operate as a right-lateral strike-slip fault. Its
structure appears to connect with the Negros Trench southwards.
 Mindanao Fault – a prominent NW-trending linear fracture zone on the western third of
Mindanao Island and has 2 distinct segments, including that which separates the Daguma
Range from the Cotabato Basin corresponding to the Cotabato Fault segment. This
segment is highly linear and has features suggestive of normal faulting although it may
have been a left lateral strike slip fault during its early history. The Quaternary Mt. Parker
volcano is located at the western end of this fault and, on radar images, seems to be cut
by the fault and terraces formed by Quaternary limestone mark the Daguma Range.
These, together with the young morphology of incised river valleys, suggests a young age
for the fault along which the Daguma Range was uplifted. Although Quaternary in age, it
still has to be ascertained whether the fault is active or not Quebral, 1994. The Sindangan
Fault segment represents the northern continuation of the fault towards northern
Zamboanga. Focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes offshore and narrow shear zones
transecting recent gravel deposits suggest active left-lateral faulting Pubellier and others,
1991. Offshore Cebu-Bohol faults – occasional occurrence of low to moderate
magnitude, shallow-seated earthquakes between Cebu and Bohol, some capable of
causing significant damage to infrastructure, is the subject of current discussions on the
possible existence of active faults in the region. Such earthquake generators are most
likely offshore, as there have so far been no indications of active faulting within the
islands of Cebu and Bohol. Active fault studies are spearheaded by PHIVOLCS.