February 15, 2003 Earthquake: Masbate, Dimasalang, Philippines
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Masbate, Dimasalang, Philippines on February 15, 2003 at 11:01:59 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- 11:01:59 UTC
- Place
- Masbate, Dimasalang, Philippines
- Magnitude
- 6.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 12.168° N, 124.079° E
- Country
- Philippines
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
Some buildings damaged (VI PIVS) and power outages occurred at Masbate, Masbate. Felt (VII PIVS) at Dimasalang, Masbate. Felt (V PIVS) at Irosin and Legaspi; (IV PIVS) at Naga, Luzon. Also felt (IV PIVS) at Palo, Leyte. Felt (III PIVS) at Cebu City, Cebu. Felt (II PIVS) at Anini-y and (I PIVS) at Lezo, Panay. (reference #1053)
The earthquake happened at 7:01 PM on February 15, 2003. It caused an 18-km long ground rupture that traversed the towns of Cataingan, Palanas and Dimasalang in the island province of Masbate. At least three bridges along the Masbate-Cataingan Road sustained structural damages. Schools such as the Masbate National Comprehensive School and the Jose Zurbito Elementary School both sustained severe shear cracks and column wall joint failure. (reference #10958)
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, Dimasalang, Luzon, Philippines
- May 13, 1897, Masbate Island, Philippines
- March 5, 2012, Masbate Island, Philippines
- November 8, 1912, Sorsogon, Philippines
- November 17, 1988, Catarman, Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines
- July 12, 1931, Masbate, Philippines
- August 16, 1869, Masbate Island, 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 5701.