March 5, 2012 Earthquake: Masbate Island, Philippines
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Masbate Island, Philippines on March 5, 2012 at 23:06:30 UTC, 37 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
- March 5, 2012
- Time
- 23:06:30 UTC
- Place
- Masbate Island, Philippines
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 37 km (23 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 12.354° N, 123.700° E
- Country
- Philippines
The toll
- Injuries
- 10
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 1
- 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.
Ten people injured, one building destroyed and several buildings damaged (VI PIVS) at Masbate. Felt (IV PIVS) at Irosin and Sorsogon and (II PIVS) at Legaspi City, Luzon.
Also felt at Iriga and Libog. Felt (IV PIVS) at Roxas City, (III PIVS) at Sigma, (II PIVS) at Iloilo and (I PIVS) at Kalibo and Numancia, Panay. Felt (III PIVS) on Almagro Island, Capul Island and Tagapul-an Island and at Catarman, Samar. Also felt at Calbayog. (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
- February 5, 1970, Odiongan, Luzon, Romblon I, Tablas I, Philippines
- August 18, 2020, Masbate, Philippines
- August 22, 2017, Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines
- April 18, 1907, Camarines, SE Luzon, Philippines
- November 18, 2003, Can-Avid, Samar, Philippines
- August 16, 1869, Masbate Island, Philippines
- February 15, 2003, Dimasalang, Luzon, Philippines
- November 8, 1912, Sorsogon, Philippines
- July 12, 1931, Masbate, Philippines
- February 15, 2003, Masbate, Dimasalang, Philippines
More
Significant earthquakes of 2012The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2012Recent 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 9905.