The Top 5 Deadliest Earthquakes in Philippine History

Published by Fabian, The Pinoy Inquisitor on


First of all let me greet everyone a "Happy New Year!" 2019...a new year to start fresh.

After taking a sabbatical from writing all things Pinoy and some other things in between, I am back with a vengeance. This time I will be writing about the Philipines and the Filipino in general with some interesting trivia to educate not only my "kababayans" but, also those who would like to know more about the Philippines and its citizens. As they say, "knowledge is power".

Last December 29, 2018, the whole Davao region rocked as a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck east of Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental. It happened around noon. I felt it rocking, slightly at first, and immediately stood up to head to the outside if it intensified. To my relief, it stopped after 30 seconds. I sat back down and soon after, one by one, my phones started chiming. It was the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council) notifying me that a tsunami alert was up after a 7.1 magnitude quake at a depth of 30 km out at sea was recorded. It (the tsunami advisory) scared the crap out of me. I quickly reminded myself that I wasn't anywhere near the coastal area but still, I knew a lot of people lived at the coastal areas, and a tsunami would kill thousands- the thought still scares the crap out of me. Good to say...no tsunami happened.

The Philippines and the Ring of Fire

Image of Pacific Ring of Fire by USSGC is licensed under Public Domain.

The Philippines is along the Pacific "Ring of Fire". The Ring of Fire also known as the circum-Pacific belt is a large horseshoe shape area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. According to Wikipedia, the Ring of Fire is the direct result of plate tectonics: the movement and collision of lithospheric plates. The Philippines is part of the complex southern portion of the Ring of Fire, where a number of smaller tectonic plates are in collision with the Pacific plate (known as the largest tectonic plate; an oceanc tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean) and is the home to numerous active volcanoes.

The Top 5 Deadliest Earthquakes in Philippine History


Although the strongest and largest earthquake recorded in the Philippines was the 1918 Celebes Sea Earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3, it is not considered the deadliest. This earthquake triggered a tsunami that caused mass destruction with 52 casualities. Let's take a look at the deadliest earthquakes (deadliest meaning highest number of fatalities) within the century.

5. 2013 Bohol Earthquake
Baclayon Church after earthquake. Credit to owner.
Paved roads in utter damage in Bohol quake aftermath. Bohol Eyes.

On October 15, just after 8 AM, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter near Sagbayan was felt mainly in Bohol and Cebu but was felt in the entire Cental Visayas and went as far as being felt in Mindanao, caused severe and extensive damage in Bohol leaving 222 dead, 8 missing, and 976 injured with 384,000 people displaced. Estimated damage was reported to be 2.5 Billion Pesos.

Old churches that were known as heritage sites located in Bohol were reduced to rubble.The famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol also suffered extensive damage from landslides triggered by the quake.

3 weeks after this earthquake, Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) caused massive destruction in the Visayas region particularly Tacloban, leaving 6300 dead.

4. 1968 Casiguran Eathquake
Rescue efforts at the collapsed Ruby Tower in Manila. Phivolcs

This 7.6 magnitude earthquake whose thrust epicenter was in Casiguran, Quezon (now part of Aurora Province) occurred at 4:19 AM local time.  It generated a .3m tsunami and recorded casualties were 207-271 with 261 injured. Majority of the deaths occurred in Manila with the collapse of a 6-storey building known as the Ruby Tower in Binondo. Many buildings along the mouth of Pasig River suffered severe damage and many landslides occurred, the most destructive at Casiguran Bay.

 2. 1990 Luzon Earthquake

Aerial photo of the collapsed Hyatt Hotel in Baguio City. Credit to owner.

Rescuers race against time to save students trapped in collapsed CCP building. Credit to owner.
It was a clear sunny hot and humid day and I just had officially celebrated my 13th birthday. It was suppose to be an uneventful July 16 until all havoc broke lose.
I was in class. It was around 4PM and my last class. Usually around that time, since my room was situated near the Cathedral, one of the priests would get into his old yellow Volkswagon to drive to the college department of my school. My classmates and I would then, on hearing the Volkswagon rev, would hit each other on the head as fast as we could, stick out our thumbs and shout "Pendong!". Our teacher, who was a young man, would get into the fun as well, rasing his thumb. 
It started like the sound of the Volkswagon, a deep revolution. Our tables started vibrating and I heard one my classmates tell one of the boys behind us to quit kicking the table. Our teacher who was standing in front, thought it was the Volkswagon and was waiting for all of us to start hitting each other on the head. Almost instantly, the building started to rock; big huge waves. Screaming, we all ran out. Our room was on the second floor and we were the only ones in the building. It was a miracle that we all were able to run down those moving steps without anyone falling down. Our teacher, bless his soul, was the last one out. The earthquake lasted for almost a minute. 
I will never forget the sound the earthquake made and the sight of the buildings moving. If you don't believe those disaster movies with earthquakes making that loud rumbling, grinding noise that echoes all around that is so loud that you can't even hear the people screaming around you, believe it. 
My parents who were just outside the Cathedral witnessed the collapse of its bell tower.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake whose epicenter was located at Rizal a town northeast of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija caused massive destruction. The most prominent being the collapse of the Hyatt Terraces Hotel in Baguio City and the student-filled classrooms of the 6-storey Technology and Home Economics building of the Christian Colleges of the Philippines in Nueva Ecija although many other buildings within Luzon also collapsed. 1671 casualties were reported.
1. 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake
Tsunami disaster at Barangay Tibpuan, Lebak, August 16, 1976 by Wallace, R.E. 313 is licensed under Public Domain.


It was a little past midnight on August 16 when the 8.0 magnitude earthquake shook Mindanao. The tremors were felt all over Mindanao and were even felt as far as the Visayas region. The epicenter near Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. Although the earthquake itself was strong, it was the 9 meter tsunami that caused the staggering number of deaths. The midnight killer or so it was called. No one expected that within 2 minutes, one of the most terrifying natural disasters known to man would hit the coastal areas of the Moro Gulf. And this happened at night. Casualties were estimated to be around 5000-8000. Most were swept out to sea.

What makes tsunamis more dangerous in the Philippines?
The trenches that surround the Philippines. Phivolcs.

The tsunamis generated locally arrive much faster and this is attributed to the different trenches along every side of the Philippines. These trenches, if they should move enough to create an earthquake, can generate tsunamis whose waves can reach the shoreline within 2-20 minutes. The closer the trench is to the shoreline, the distance shorter thus, the tsunami will arrive faster. Of course,  the size/height of the wave also contributes to the amount of destruction. Experts say that a 6.1 magnitude quake of the Manila Trench can generate a 5 meter tsunami. If so, a predicted 3000 casualties may arise.

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