USGS · August 25, 2026

Magnitude 4.2 earthquake — 16 km SW of Balangonan, Philippines

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded near 16 km SW of Balangonan, Philippines on Aug 25, 2026, 10:24 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8), at a depth of about 19.8 km, according to USGS.

USGSShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-17 18:49 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 4.2 · body-wave magnitude
Location
16 km SW of Balangonan, Philippines
Local time at the epicentre
Aug 25, 2026, 10:24 PM — UTC+8
Time (UTC)
2026-08-25 14:24 UTC
Depth
19.8 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
5.451, 125.268
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
271 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality
13 seismic stations used · 143° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

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.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 26,440 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 1,316,440 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Balangonan16.6 km NE2,329
Bukid20.3 km NE2,232
Sarangani22.2 km ESE7,506
Butulan25.6 km NE2,436
Nuing27.4 km NE2,610
Pangyan27.8 km N5,261
Burias29.7 km N4,066
Sugal31.8 km NE2,759
Baliton32.7 km N5,809
Kablalan37.4 km NNW2,698

Earthquake history in this area

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

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

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

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 16 km SW of Balangonan, Philippines earthquake?

Magnitude 4.2 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 19.8 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?

Aug 25, 2026, 10:24 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8). In universal time: 2026-08-25 14:24 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 Balangonan, 16.6 km NE (population 2,329).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 8.0 (1972 Mindanao, Philippines Earthquake, 1972), and 24 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) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.