An earthquake with the magnitude of 6.3 shook Batangas province on the main Philippine island of Luzon on Friday, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) said.
The institute said the quake, which struck at 7:43 a.m. local time, hit at a depth of 102 kilometers, about 11 kilometers southwest Calatagan town, about 100 kilometers south of capital Manila.
Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal also felt the tremor, the institute said.
The institute said the quake, which was tectonic in origin, will trigger aftershocks but will not cause damage.
Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum told local radio that the quake will not generate a tsunami.
A spokesman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said there was no reports of damage from the quake so far.
The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
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Magnitude Mw 6.3
Region LUZON, PHILIPPINES
Date time 2020-12-24 23:43:31.9 UTC
Location 14.07 N ; 120.95 E
Depth 33 km
Distances
16 km S of Silang, Philippines / pop: 119,000 / local time: 07:43:31.9 2020-12-25
3 km SE of Tagaytay, Philippines / pop: 71,100 / local time: 07:43:31.9 2020-12-25
In the coastal city of Calatagan, about 90 kilometers south of Manila and near the epicenter, people attending Mass remained calm as the earthquake hit, police chief Major Carlo Caceres told AFP.
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There were no reports of damage or casualties in the area, he added.
"The office furniture and equipment swayed, but nothing was broken," said policeman Allan Megano in the nearby town of Balayan.