The earthquakes that hit Sipalay City in southern Negros Occidental on Saturday and Sunday (May 17 and 18) did not cause any damage to infrastructure, Mayor Gina Montilla Lizares said.
A rapid damage assessment was immediately conducted, she said.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake that hit Sipalay City at 8:32 a.m. Saturday was felt in various parts of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Panay and Cebu at varying intensities, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported.
The center of the earthquake was 50 kilometers off Sipalay’s mainland near the Negros Trench, Dionelo Bogtae, Executive Assistant 4 to the mayor for peace and order and public safety, said.
This was followed by 22 other earthquakes from 9:51 a.m. Saturday to 2:40 p.m. Sunday with magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 4.1, the Phivolcs report showed.
The aftershocks that followed the 5.1 earthquake on Saturday did not cause any damage to property, Bogtae said.*