[apong_ambo]

Quake shakes Metro Manila, parts of Luzon--seismologists


By Joel Guinto, Tonette Orejas
INQUIRER.net, Inquirer

Last updated 01:44pm (Mla time) 11/27/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 4) An earthquake shook parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila Tuesday, sending people fleeing into the streets, seismologists and witnesses said.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake, which struck at 12:27 p.m., was at magnitude 6.0 and was centered 195 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Manila at a depth of depth 62.5 kilometers.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) chief Renato Solidum said the earthquake had a 4.2 magnitude and was located slightly offshore, 77 kilometers northwest of Lingayen town, Pangasinan province.
The quake was also felt in Baguio City, La Union, and Pampanga, Solidum said.
The earthquake was tectonic in origin, caused by the movement of the
Manila Trench, Solidum said.
He said the quake was too weak to cause a tsunami on the western seaboard.
There have been no reports of casualties or damages as of posting time, Solidum added.
Earlier in the day, witnesses and radio reports said some office buildings in Manila emptied as people rushed outside when the structures began to sway.
The city's light railway system also stopped briefly, they added.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the quake was felt in the cities of Makati, Manila and Pasig, especially by tenants of high-rise buildings.
Malacañang, Senate, and Government Service Insurance System employees evacuated their buildings during the earthquake, according to INQUIRER.net in separate reports.
But Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile was undeterred as he proceeded with the floor debates on the proposed 2008 budget.