Shallow M5.4 Earthquake struck on Wednesday Evening in the Philippine Sea 100km from Legaspi (The Philippines).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 29th, 2026. Last updated August 20th, 2026.

In the evening of Wednesday July 29th, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.4 earthquake hit in the Philippine Sea 100 kilometer from Legaspi, 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, 53 kilometers (33 mi) off the coast of The Philippines, 100 kilometer east of Legaspi in Bicol. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 29, 2026 11:09PM (Manila Time) - Jul 29, 2026 15:09 Universal Time.
Location:	100 km east of Legaspi, Bicol, The Philippines. Coordinates 13°8'50"N 124°39'54"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 30 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.057 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very 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.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 1,370,000 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 7.5 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is 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 . Virac in Bicol, The Philippines is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 67 kilometer (42 mi) south-east of Virac. Virac experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Major cities near this earthquake: Legaspi is located 100 km to the west and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Tacloban is located 215 km to the south (intensity unknown, possibly low). Naga is located 169 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

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 graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

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 2 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in 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:

• Bato (Bato, Catanduanes), Bicol, Philippines: 1 person.
• Gandara, Eastern Visayas, Philippines: 1 person.

2 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. A 3.7 magnitude earthquake hit 3 hrs later 47 km (29 mi) north of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 3.4 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

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 July 13th, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 174 km (108 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on September 30th, 2025.

In total, 23 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 5 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 20/08/26 01:28 (). 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 us6000tgpr
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260729_0000245
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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