From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On the 6.5 earthquake

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, which occurred 13 kilometers southwest of Jaro, Leyte, today, 4:03PM.

We ask our people, especially residents of affected areas, to stay calm and yet remain alert and vigilant for aftershocks as we assure them of immediate assistance by the government.

We ask our people to regularly check the Phivolcs website for the latest earthquake information. Updates will be provided as soon as more information becomes available.