Is Your Area Near Active Fault Lines? Find Out in this Fault Lines in the Philippines List
27 July 2022
Earthquakes are one of the ways Mother Nature advises us to halt what we're doing and concentrate on improving nature.
Situated in the Pacific Ocean, the Ring of Fire has the world's greatest frequency of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, making it quite hazardous. With regard to an array of oceanic trenches, volcanic arc systems, and plate movements that form the Ring of Fire.
There is a strong connection between the Ring of Fire and the Philippines, and the country's unique position in Southeast Asia means that it is likely to undergo several volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
As with any country, the Philippines has a variety of fault lines that make it especially prone to earthquakes. Here, we'll cover the active fault lines in the Philippines, and how you can tell whether your neighborhood is near one.
What is a fault line?
An earthquake fault line or fault is a crack in the crust that was formed when the crust shifted. The deepest earthquakes occur along fault lines, according to seismologists. When two sides of the fault move past one other, seismic waves are generated and therefore, the earthquake is created.
Philippines Plate, Eurasian Plate, and Indo-Australian Plate are the three tectonic plates that round the country. Thus, the movement of these tectonic plates has resulted in the formation of the Philippine fault zone.
5 Active Philippine fault lines
The Philippines is consist of five (5) active faults that we need to keep a watch on:
Active fault line #1. Marikina Valley Fault System
The most hazardous fault in the nation is the Marikina Valley Fault. This is because it runs right through the heart of Manila's most up-and-coming and busy areas. On top of that, according to PHIVOLCS or the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the Marikina Valley Fault Line is the most seismically active fault line in the Philippines.
In addition to this, it's possible that it may cause Taal Volcano to erupt as a consequence of this fault line shifting.
The following are the places that the Marikina Valley Fault passes through:
- Biñan
- Calamba
- Carmona
- Marikina
- Montalban
- Muntinlupa
- Oriental Mindoro
- Pasig
- San Mateo
- San Pedro
- Santa Rosa
- Tagaytay
- Taguig
Active fault line #2. Western Philippine Fault Lines
If you didn't know, the water level might cause problems as well. In actuality, the West Valley fault line does not run on land, but rather through the seas of the Western region of the Philippines.
Here are the locations where the Western Philippine fault line crosses:
- Luzon Sea
- Mindoro Strait
- Panay Gulf
- Sulu Sea
Active fault line #3. Eastern Philippine Fault Lines
In the same way that the Western Philippine Fault was discovered under the ground, so was the Eastern Philippine Fault. These active faults can be found in the Philippine Sea.
Active fault line #4. Southern Mindanao Fault Lines
The Mindanao fault may be seen running across the Celebes Sea as well as the Moro Gulf. Fortunately, even if the Southern Mindanao Fault is located in the city, it is unlikely that it would pose a threat to people there.
Nonetheless, if the fault line shifts, the whole region of Southern Mindanao is in jeopardy. Even the provinces and cities that are directly close to it are in danger, so everyone should be ready.
Active fault line #5. Central Philippine Fault Zone
Central Philippine Fault Zone is responsible for the archipelago's fault creep, slow slide occurrences, and big earthquakes on the other end of the spectrum. Since this fault line is similar to the Marikina Valley Fault Line, it goes across numerous provinces and cities in various cities from the northern portion of the archipelago down to the northern part of Davao.
The following is a list of places where the Central Philippine Fault Lines can be found:
- Agusan del Norte
- Agusan del Sur
- Aurora
- Davao del Norte
- Eastern Leyte
- Masbate
- Quezon
- Southern Leyte
- The entire Ilocos Norte
According to experts, the Guinsaugon earthquake was caused by a rupture in the Central Philippine Fault Zone. Even more so, it is also the cause of the devastating earthquake that happened in 1990 in Baguio and the rest of Central Luzon.
Discover if your area is close to a fault line via PHIVOLCS Fault Finder
Now that you're familiar with the well-known active fault lines in the Philippines, it's time to find out whether your region is at risk of earthquakes. If your region is near a fault line, you'll be able to determine this through PHIVOLCS Fault Finder.
In order to help users determine how close they are to a fault line, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) created this online application. In reality, this initiative is meant to assist people to prepare for future natural catastrophes.
Dr. Joel C. Bandibas, a Filipino scholar who now lives in Japan, created this software. With the DOST-PHIVOLCS and the AIST-GSJ's help, he was able to come up with the software that we can use to determine whether we are near an active fault or not.
Besides that, this software also displays information on the maps and offers the user's actual location in relation to the nearby fault lines.
Invest in a house and lot far from fault lines
It is critical to understand the current state of the Philippine fault system. In reality, you may assist your government agency, as well as yourself, by using this information in the event of a fault line shifting.
The PHIVOLCS Fault Finder, on the other hand, may also assist the general public in determining whether or not they are located near a fault line. Furthermore, this may enable individuals to identify the active fault lines in the Philippines if they are not already familiar with them.
Through this, they can have some ideas on which places are safe from destructive and frequent earthquakes, especially when buying a home or property.
If you are searching for a house and lot property that is far or not included in the fault lines, Lumina Homes is one of the safest communities in the country. We have more than 50 projects nationwide to choose from!
Aside from this, our home model units are also built through Cast-In-Place and Industrialized Building System or IBS that give our residents and future homeowners the assurance that their brand new home can last the test of time and any natural disasters.
You can check our website to know more about our various communities all over the country and the available home model units or like and follow our social media accounts.
Make your home reservations now and provide yourself and your family a safe place to live with Lumina Homes!

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