February 15, 2003 Earthquake: Dimasalang, Luzon, Philippines
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Dimasalang, Luzon, Philippines on February 15, 2003 at 05:47:58 UTC, 10 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- February 15, 2003
- Time
- 05:47:58 UTC
- Place
- Dimasalang, Luzon, Philippines
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 12.171° N, 123.921° E
- Country
- Philippines
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Roads damaged at Dimasalang. Felt (VI PIVS) at
Dimasalang and (V PIVS) at Masbate. Felt (IV PIVS) at
Legaspi and (III PIVS) at Bulusan, Luzon. Also felt
(III PIVS) at Mandaue City, Cebu and at Palo, Leyte. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 30, 2025, Cebu, Central Visayas, Philippines
- March 22, 1840, Sorsogon,masbate Is,casiguran,albay, Philippines
- March 17, 1973, Calaug,lopez,guiayangan, Quezon City, Philippines
- July 2, 1954, Sorsogon, Bacon, Legaspi, Luzon, Philippines
- July 6, 2017, Leyte, Philippines
- August 18, 2020, Masbate, Philippines
- August 22, 2017, Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines
- November 18, 2003, Can-Avid, Samar, Philippines
- February 15, 2003, Masbate, Dimasalang, Philippines
- May 13, 1897, Masbate Island, Philippines
- March 5, 2012, Masbate Island, Philippines
- November 8, 1912, Sorsogon, Philippines
- August 16, 1869, Masbate Island, Philippines
- July 12, 1931, Masbate, Philippines
- November 17, 1988, Catarman, Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines
More
Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5700.