(Updated; July 27, 12:25 p.m.) Filipinos were off to a shocking start on Wednesday morning after a strong quake jolted Abra. This tremor was felt by citizens of Metro Manila and those in Northern Luzon.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that a tectonic earthquake with 7.0 magnitude was recorded in Tayum, Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region at 8:43 a.m.
The tremors were felt as far as Metro Manila, where many residents reported feeling dizzy. Others were told to evacuate from their tall office buildings and residential condominiums.
Aftershocks are expected from the strong quake.
There are no tsunami threats, but residents in coastal areas of La Union have been advised to evacuate as a tsunami warning was raised by its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
This was after a recession in water level was observed along the coast.
Keywords such as “Ingat,” “Abra,” “Luzon” and “NDRRMC” trended on Twitter Philippines following the incident.
A Twitter user recorded a video of a hanging light fixture that swayed amid the tremor.
Another Filipino shared a recording of broadcast journalist Noli de Castro reacting in real-time to the earthquake.
“Noli de Castro is all of us earlier,” she wrote.
A different user shared that De Castro was interviewing someone from Ilocos Sur whose camera shook from the tremors.
“38 seconds after, it was also felt at the studio in QC,” he wrote, referring to the ABS-CBN Studio where the broadcaster was.
Fellow broadcaster Karen Davila also experienced it while interviewing a lawmaker for ANC’s “Headstart.”
“#EarthquakePH on live TV: @iamkarendavila talking to Rep. Teves when the quake struck. Handled it calmly but the shaking grew stronger. Stay safe!” another Twitter user said.
A different Pinoy reshared an old viral video of Kris Aquino, who felt an earthquake in the metro before.
“Me channeling my inner Kris Aquino during the #EarthquakePH:” the user captioned.
At that time, an earthquake with a 6.1-magnitude was recorded in Castillejos, Zambales, nearer Metro Manila than the recent one.
Several provinces and cities in the capital region felt different intensities ranging from Intensity III to V.