Earthquakes are a daily reality in the Philippines, with over a hundred low-magnitude tremors recorded each day. While most go unnoticed, the country’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire—a volatile zone of tectonic activity—makes it highly susceptible to powerful and destructive quakes.
The Ring of Fire surrounds much of the Pacific Ocean and is home to numerous oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and fault systems. The Philippines sits at the convergence of three major tectonic plates: the Philippine Sea Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Indo-Australian Plate. Their interactions have created a complex network of fault lines across the archipelago.
One of the most significant is the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ), a 1,200-kilometer fracture that stretches from Luzon to Mindanao. It includes several active faults such as the Marikina Valley Fault—considered the most dangerous in Metro Manila—and the Guinayangan Fault in Quezon Province. Other notable faults include the Masbate Fault, Eastern and Western Philippine Faults, and the Central Philippine Fault Zone, which spans multiple provinces.
These fault systems are responsible for both minor tremors and major seismic events, including the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck Masbate in August 2022. Beyond ground shaking, earthquakes in the region can trigger landslides, tsunamis, and infrastructure collapse, underscoring the importance of preparedness and awareness.
