A MAGNITUDE 5.3 earthquake jolted the waters off Surigao del Sur on Wednesday morning.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the epicenter of the shallow tremor was located 32 kilometers southeast of Hinatuan town.
A magnitude 7.4 tremor rocked Mindanao in early December and killed three people.
Phivolcs confirmed that Wednesday’s quake was an aftershock of the magnitude 7.4 event.
An intensity 5 quake was felt at around 9:11 a.m. in Bislig City.
Following the November and December earthquakes, the Davao City government through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) meanwhile gave financial assistance to the province and towns under state of calamity in Surigao del Sur.
In an interview, CDRRMO officer-in-charge Alfredo Baloran said P2.5 million was given to the affected areas, with the Surigao del Sur provincial government receiving P1 million, while the rest of the municipalities received P300,000 each.
Baloran said the assistance was handed over to the affected local government units (LGU) on Dec. 21 and Dec. 22.
“CDRRMO was tasked to hand over the financial assistance from the City Government of Davao to the municipalities of Hinatuan and Cagwait in Surigao del Sur. The province of Surigao del Sur also received financial aid from the city,” Baloran said.
The towns of Alabel, Malapatan, and Glan in Sarangani province were also recipients of the city government’s financial aid, he added.
“Actually, extending financial assistance to LGUs in state of calamity is already a practice of the City Government of Davao. This is an initiative of our local chief executive using our quick response funds for disasters,” he said.