EMSC · September 28, 2026

Magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Masinloc, Philippines

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded near 18 km ESE of Palauig, Philippines on Sep 28, 2026, 08:54 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8), at a depth of about 3.6 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-28 03:05 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 5.0 · body-wave magnitude
Location
18 km ESE of Palauig, Philippines
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 28, 2026, 08:54 AM — UTC+8
Time (UTC)
2026-09-28 00:54 UTC
Depth
3.6 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
15.514, 119.759
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.

Who lives nearby

About 114,159 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 4,437,469 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Palauig17.9 km ESE2,944
Lipay18.5 km ESE2,717
Bani20.2 km ENE3,066
Masinloc20.7 km E56,579
Taltal21.6 km ENE5,370
San Lorenzo22.0 km E2,498
Salaza22.1 km ESE4,599
Liozon22.6 km SE3,245
Malabon23.5 km NE2,640
Bulawin23.7 km ESE3,612

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in the Philippines.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

2 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 18 km ESE of Palauig, Philippines earthquake?

Magnitude 5.0 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 3.6 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 28, 2026, 08:54 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8). In universal time: 2026-09-28 00:54 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Palauig, 17.9 km ESE (population 2,944).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.7 (4 km E of Macapsing, Philippines, 1990), and 2 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.