December 7, 1677 Earthquake: Central,s, Luzon, Philippines

Reference #414:

1677, December 7, 1677, 19:30 [local time] There was a prolonged earthquake in the central and southern parts of Luzon Island. Beams cracked in buildings, tiles fell, walls made out of stone were weakened. One or two people died. Subsequent shocks lasted all night and there were at least 40 of them. Cracks formed in the ground at Bauang and Gapan.

Sea waves were observed at a number of places and it was reported that boats at sea almost sank. [The possibility of a tsunami is not excluded.]

Reference #1058:

1677, December 7. Batangas, Bataan and Zambales, intensity IX. Destructive, three killed and many injured.

Reference #1187:

1677, December 7. Central and Southern Luzon: Manila -

There were terrible vibrations which lasted a long time, crack, cracked the beams of buildings, shook down tiles and loosened stone walls. The greatest damage was suffered in old buildings and those in bad condition. Only one or two persons were killed. The aftershocks continued all night; one person counted forty.

Bauan, Batangas and Gapang, Nueva Ecija - wide crevice opened.

There were sea waves in some places, and reports of boats at sea almost submerged by waves. These effects indicate an origin in the China Sea.

In Manila, chasms opened in the ground. Although the author did not mention the region principally affected by the tsunamis, it was supposed that the waves were raised in the China Sea near the west coast of Cavite, Bataan and Zambales.

Reference #3029:

1677 December 7, 7:30 p.m. Central and southern Luzon. The accession of Charles II to the throne of Spain was celebrated in Manila in December, 1677, and the festivities

ended about seven in the evening. Father Diaz relates what happened about a half an hour later when there were terrible vibrations which lasted a long time, cracked the

beams of buildings, shook down tiles, and loosened stone walls. This first shock was said to have been stronger than that of August 20, 1658, but of shorter duration. The

wooden posts supporting the heavy roofs now proved their value, for in spite of broken walls the houses did not utterly collapse as on former occasions. The greatest damage was suffered in old buildings and in those in bad condition, which has been true of Philippine earthquakes in general. Father Dfaz said that only one or two persons

were killed and that these were of little account in the world. The aftershocks continued all night; one person counted forty. In Bauan, in the present province of

Batangas, a wide crevice opened, and there was also one in Gapang, in the present province of Nueva Ecija. There were sea waves in some places, and reports of boats at sea almost submerged by waves. These effects indicate an origin in the China Sea. BR, XLII, 167-169.