Earthquake in the Philippines

Location: Southern Province of Mindanao, Philippines

Date: December 2, 2023

Magnitude: Reported as 7.6 magnitude

Intensity: Felt partly in Davao and Surigao Del Sur

A powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 struck the Philippines on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council reported on Sunday evening that one person had died and four were
injured, although it was still verifying both numbers, and a total of 529 families were impacted. Defense secretary Gilbert
Teodoro said earlier that a pregnant woman was the person who died, the BBC reported. The Office of Civil Defense told TIME in
an email that the figures mentioned by Teodoro “are initial reports, but still subject to validation.” TIME has reached out to
other national and local branches of government for more information. The quake hit the southern province of Mindanao at
10:37 p.m. local time and triggered a tsunami warning. People in the coastal areas of Davao Oriental and Surigao Del Sur were
“strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland.” Japan also issued a tsunami warning
for certain coastal areas, NHK reported. PHIVOLCS (the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) recorded tsunamis
with a maximum wave height of two feet (0.64 meters) in certain areas, with the last wave recorded just before 3 a.m. The
agency canceled the warning by 3:30 a.m. Estimates of the quake’s strength ranged, with PHIVOLCS initially giving it a
magnitude of 6.9, then upgrading it to a 7.4. Hundreds of aftershocks occurred Sunday, with another 6.6 magnitude quake
hitting Sunday evening, according to PHIVOLCS.

The strong earthquake prompted patients and medical staff to evacuate a hospital in Butuan City late on Saturday, AFP
reported. The municipal government of Hinatuan, 13 miles (21 km) from the quake’s epicenter, posted pictures on its Facebook
page of chaotic evacuation scenes. While some residents fled to higher ground, others took shelter in large, industrial buildings.
Pictures of the damage showed collapsed homes and houses filled with debris.

Philippines President Bongbong Marcos said in a social media post Sunday morning that the government was continuing to
provide assistance to earthquake victims. Residents who had evacuated were allowed to their homes Sunday, Reuters reported.

Local government areas in Davao Oriental and Surigao Del Sur province canceled school starting Monday as teams checked the
safety of the buildings and other public facilities, the governments posted on their Facebook pages Sunday.
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As civil engineer what can you do to mitigate earthquake hazard?

The most common (and effective) mitigation measures are the enforcement of seismic codes, land-use zoning, and engineering
works to strengthen existing structures and stabilize hitherto unstable ground. Some measures are applicable to new
development while others to existing development.