Panic as strong quake jolts north Luzon

SAFE SPACE A magnitude 4.4 earthquake on Thursday disrupted classes and work in Baguio City, including a high school sports event at Burnham Park's Athletic Bowl. Teachers guided their students toward the park's open spaces, where residents also gathered after Baguio was struck by a devastating earthquake in July 1990. —NEIL CLARK ONGCHANGCO

BAGUIO CITY—A magnitude 4.4 earthquake jolted northern Luzon on Thursday morning, triggering panic in schools, traffic gridlock and the suspension of classes and government work in different localities.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake struck at 10:30 a.m., with its epicenter located 2 kilometers northeast of Pugo, La Union, at a depth of 10 km. It was felt as far as Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Itogon in Benguet, and Bontoc in Mountain Province.

This came nine days after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu, killing at least 70 people.

The ground shaking, felt at Intensity 5 in Baguio, caused mass evacuations, school disruptions and massive traffic jams as worried parents scrambled to pick up their children.

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong suspended classes from kindergarten to senior high school, with students led out of buildings following standard emergency protocols.

Even the University of the Cordilleras halted its graduation ceremony, resuming only after safety measures were confirmed.

By midday, major roads in the city were choked with vehicles, and passenger vehicles were stuck in barangay roads.

Taken to hospitals

The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center was forced to set up a temporary emergency room in its garden on Thursday after a surge of patients overwhelmed its facilities. By 2 p.m., at least 46 people had been brought in for medical assistance or first aid following the earthquake.

In La Union province, at least 28 students from Sto. Tomas National High School suffered dizziness and anxiety during the quake. Five were referred to the La Union Medical Center, but all are now in stable condition, according to provincial officials.

The Ilocos Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said several La Union towns—Tubao, Naguilian, Caba, Pugo, Burgos, Agoo, Bauang, Rosario, Sto. Tomas, Aringay and Bagulin— suspended classes and government work.

In neighboring Pangasinan, seven towns also suspended classes and government work after ground shaking was felt at Intensity 2. These include Bayambang, Mapandan, Asingan, Pozorrubio, Mangaldan, Sto. Tomas and Rosales.

Precautions

Bayambang Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao said the suspension was a precautionary step while assessments are conducted on public infrastructure. Emergency and essential services continued to operate.

In Asingan, Mayor Carlos Lopez Jr. instructed schools to shift to modular or distance learning for the remainder of the day.

Meanwhile, Dagupan City, which was devastated by the magnitude 7.7 Luzon earthquake in 1990, opted to continue classes and government operations, with Mayor Belen Fernandez saying the temblor was “barely felt” and posed no risk of structural damage.

“No suspension is necessary,” Fernandez said in a Facebook post in Filipino. “But our DRRMO remains on full alert in case of stronger aftershocks.”

Despite the widespread panic and precautionary measures, no damage or injuries had been reported in affected areas, according to local disaster response officials. —WITH A REPORT FROM DIANNE SAMPANG