Disaster Fact Checks

FALSE: 7.2 magnitude earthquake to hit Cagayan de Oro and Tagoloan River

Renzo Arceta, Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

FALSE: 7.2 magnitude earthquake to hit Cagayan de Oro and Tagoloan River
Phivolcs has denied that this information came from them, and urges the public to stop sharing the claim
At a glance
  • Claim: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake will hit Cagayan de Oro and Tagoloan River.
  • Rating: FALSE
  • The facts: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has denied that this information came from them. It urges the public to stop sharing the claim. It says there is no technology available that can predict when an earthquake will occur.   
  • Why we fact-checked this: The claim has been posted by multiple accounts, with some posts being shared over 600 times and garnering over 1,000 reactions. 
Complete details

Several posts have been circulating on Facebook, asking for prayers for Mindanao. The posts claim that a 7.2 magnitude earthquake will hit Cagayan de Oro and the Tagoloan River. 

They claim that the information is from an unnamed regional director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and was sent by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC).

This claim is false. 

On April 21, 2022, Phivolcs issued a public denial that the information from the circulating post came from them. The agency urged the public to cease sharing the claim. They added that there is currently no technology in the world that is able to predict when earthquakes may occur. 

Earthquakes occur in areas where active fault lines lie. In 2019, Phivolcs Northern Mindanao Director Marcial Labininay said that there was no active fault line in CDO. 

Because of the unpredictable nature of earthquakes, the public is urged to always be prepared for them. It is best to keep up to date with the latest facts on the occurrence of earthquakes through Phivolcs’ official Twitter and Facebook pages. You can also check out Rappler’s checklist for preparing for an earthquake here. – Renzo Arceta/Rappler.com

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

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