The province is safe from earthquakes as it is not within the so-called Philippine Fault Zone, according to Engr. Jose Eucel Talisic, science research analyst of the city-based Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The statement was issued yesterday after a mild earthquake hit the seawaters between Anda, Bohol and Southern Leyte at 2:43 a.m. Monday, with no damage to properties in any part of the province.
"Bohol is safer compared to other provinces which are within the Philippine Fault Zone," the Philvocs official categorically said.

The geographic location of Bohol in central Visayas adds to its "safety net" even as he confirmed that there are two off-shore faults and an inland fault within the province.

The East Bohol Fault is an inland fault at Payong Peak which is within the vicinity of Sierra-Bullones, Duero and Loay towns. The two off-shore faults which need further research are somewhere in Tubigon and Inabanga area.

The East Bohol Fault recorded some movements on March 31, 2005 which registered an Intensity 5 tremor in Sierra-Bullones, Duero, Jagna and Ubay areas.

The active off-shore tremor last Monday registered at Magnitude 4. He explained that "magnitude" is the energy released at the origin of the tremor as compared to "intensity" which is the impact that people can feel on the land movement considering also the physical damages incurred because of such land movement.

"All earthquakes have magnitude but not all have intensity," he explained.

The tremor last Monday dawn was recorded 22 kms. southeast of Anda peninsula and some 55 kms. southwest of southern Leyte provinces.

Because the origin was off-shore, there was nothing felt by residents, according to dyRD's "Tagbilaran-By-Nite" program which conducted a round-up check in the towns of Anda, Guindulman, Duero and Jagna last Monday evening.

Engr. Talisic said that the dawn tremor could just be one of the average of 20 tremors recorded in the country everyday.

The tremor, however, generated alarm among Boholanos since it came barely two days after a powerful quake hit central Indonesia, particularly in Java last Saturday where no less than 4,000 people perished. Recovery of bodies from debris continue.