Sultan Kudarat logs 3,319 quakes for two weeks now

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 3 February) – Earthquakes have continued to jolt parts of Sultan Kudarat province for two weeks now, with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Tuesday recording a total of 3,319 quakes since January 19.

In a media advisory, PHIVOLCS said that of the number– 1,010 quakes– have been plotted by its monitoring stations, of which 114 were felt as of 8 a.m. The recorded magnitude ranges from 1.3 to 5.9.

This developed as Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu lifted the suspension of classes in all levels and work in public offices effective Monday after two weeks of disruptions.

Residents of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat affected by the earthquake swarm receive food assistance from the government in this 31 January 2026 photo. DSWD-12 photo

However, he directed the conduct of modular classes in Kalamansig, Lebak and Palimbang (Kalepa) until such time that face-to-face classes are deemed safe and appropriate by the schools division superintendent and other concerned authorities.

Mangudadatu said that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and its local counterparts continue to monitor the situation, conduct safety and structural assessments in their respective jurisdictions.

Despite thousands of recorded earthquakes, the governor said that Sultan Kudarat has reported no casualties or major infrastructural damages.

He assured his constituents that he would not hesitate to suspend classes anew “even for a month” if the situation warrants.

“The life and safety of children and the community are more important than assignments, projects, or examinations … The policy is clear: it is better to be prepared even if nothing happens than to face disaster unprepared—because life is precious, and safety always comes first,” Mangudadatu said.

Sultan Kudarat province is being affected by an earthquake swarm, according to PHIVOLCS.

An earthquake swarm is a sequence of many small-to-moderate earthquakes in a specific area over a short time (days to months) without a single, dominant mainshock.

Since Monday, the highest magnitude recorded by PHIVOLCS stood at 3.9. The tectonic quake struck 41 kilometers (km) southwest of Kalamansig with a depth of 21 km, at 3:57 a.m.

As of 8 a.m. last Friday, PHIVOLCS recorded 2,640 quakes offshore Kalamansig town, with 792 plotted by monitoring stations, of which 91 were felt. The recorded magnitude ranges from 1.3 to 5.9.

Last week, the local government units of Kalamansig and Lebak ordered the preemptive evacuations of residents living in coastal villages as a precautionary measure against possible tsunami.

The series of earthquakes has affected at least 13,192 families or 59,185 individuals from the Kalepa area, data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Region 12 (DSWD-12) showed.  (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)