Significant M5.5 Earthquake struck on Monday Night in the Philippine Sea near Tandag (The Philippines).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on May 24th, 2026.

In the night of Monday May 25th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit in the Philippine Sea 28 kilometer from Tandag, The Philippines. Around 9 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, right off the coast of The Philippines (10 mi offshore), 28 kilometer north-east of Tandag in Caraga. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 34 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	May 25, 2026 12:48AM (Manila Time) - May 24, 2026 16:48 Universal Time.
Location:	28 km NE of Tandag, Caraga, The Philippines. Coordinates 9°18'12"N 126°18'41"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 36 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.052 .
Depth:	34 km (21 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 9 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 9 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 5,540 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 6.7 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of The Philippines .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in The Philippines . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Tandag in Caraga, The Philippines. Tandag is located 28 kilometer (17 mi) north-east of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Tandag is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Davao is located 260 km to the south (intensity unknown, possibly low). Butuan is located 93 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Cebu City is located 288 km to the northwest (intensity unknown, possibly low).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 6 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 6 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within Philippines.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Purok, Caraga, Philippines: 4 people.
• Dapa, Caraga, Philippines: 1 person.
• San Antonio (Basey, Samar), Eastern Visayas, Philippines: 1 person.

2 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. A 3 magnitude earthquake hit 52 mins later 10 km (6 mi) south of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 5 magnitude earthquake hit 3 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 6th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 204 km (127 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 2nd, 2023.

In total, 81 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 months.

Low tsunami risk

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 24/05/26 20:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000szxz
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260524_0000287
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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