EARTHQAUKE

S and

TSUNAMI
MIDNIGHT KILLER
The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake
The Deadliest Tsunami In Philippine History
 Almost 4 decades ago, the most devastating tsunami in the history of the Philippines hit the
Moro Gulf region and killed around 8,000 people. But it also prompted a change in the country's
disaster preparedness system.
It was 10 minutes past midnight of August 17, 1976, a Tuesday. While most people were sleeping,
a massive earthquake, registering magnitude 8.0 on the Richter scale, rocked most of Mindanao and
parts of the Visayas.
The tremor was most strongly felt in the cities and towns surrounding the Moro Gulf,
particularly in Cotabato City, which now hosts the regional center of the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
What made the 1976 Moro Gulf Quake most devastating, however, was not just the degree of the
earth shaking.
With its epicenter near the town of Lebak in Sultan Kudarat, in a region of the Celebes Sea
where earthquakes frequently occur – the 1976 Moro Gulf quake brought with it one of the most
terrifying natural forces known to man: a tsunami.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 THE EARTHQUAKE’S
EPICENTER

Lebak in Sultan Kudarat

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 Without warning, about 2-5 minutes after the earthquake struck, waves as high
as 9 meters reached the shore and inundated communities along the Moro Gulf.
The tsunami affected 700 kilometers of coastline, with Pagadian City, Cotabato
City, Zamboanga City, and Lebak in Sultan Kudarat experiencing the highest waves.
About 8,000 people died, including those missing and were never found,
making it the most disastrous tsunami to hit the Philippines.
It is more than the number of casualties recorded after Super Typhoon Yolanda,
the strongest typhoon in the world, hit the country.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato
Solidum said the high number of deaths – many of whom were children – could be
attributed to the time the tsunami struck and the number of people residing near the
shore at that time.
"Many people lived near the coast. Also, it was very dark. [It was] past
midnight… Why many [died]? It's because it was sudden. If it happened in the morning
when children are in school, a lot of people would probably be able to run for their
lives," Solidum explained.
It’s important to note the type of the tsunami, he added. "It was a local tsunami.
The onset of the first event (wave) occurred 2 to 5 minutes after the earthquake.
Definitely, the height of the wave would matter in terms of the number of deaths."

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
“A housewife of Pagadian City said that at about 12:15am, the earth started to move. She woke her
10 children up to evacuate to higher grounds knowing that a tidal wave would follow a powerful
tremor. Five minutes later, giant waves roared half-a-kilometer inland washing away hundreds of
housesalong the coast.”
– from the Philippine Daily Express
“I couldn’t stand up, I was dizzy and nauseated on feeling the earthquake. After a while talking with
fear-striken people I went to my room but came down at once upon hearing a loud rumbling like
many trucks together. Someone shouted it was the surf. The noise had been the roar of a giant wave
which swept little huts on stilts.”
– from the Asian Report
“We were asleep. I woke up as the house rocked like a boat caught in a storm… We all rushed out of
the house… for safer ground. Seconds after, the killer wave engulfed our house. It was a nightmare
beyond belief.”
– from Warlito Fausto, a 33-year-old route helper

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

Earthquake Intensities
The quake was widely felt throughout the region. PAGASA in the Phillipines gave the
following Modified Mercalli Scale Intensities for Mindanao and the islands to the
north.
Intensity VII - Cotabato City; Jolo-Sulu; Zamboanga City
Intensity VI - Basilan City; Pagadian City; Dipolog City; Malaybalay-Bukidnon
Intensity V - Cagayan de Oro City; Davao City; General Santos City
Intensity IV - Dumaguete City; Hinatuan Surigao del Sur; Tagbilaran-Bohol; Cebu City;
Surigao-Surigao del Norte
Intensity II - Roxas City; Iloilo City; Tacloban City; Legaspi City; Palo-Leyte; Catbalogan- Samar

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 Death Toll and Damages
The earthquake occurred at night when offices and schools in Cotabato,
Zamboanga and other cities were unoccupied - thus the loss of life was reduced.
Although the quake had a large magnitude, surprisingly, it produced little ground
deformation on land areas. However, there was extensive earthquake damage to
buildings, bridges and roads in Mindanao and particularly at the city of Cotabato.
The majority of buildings failed because of poor construction or inadequate
foundations. A number of such buildings had been constructed on alluvial deposits
with no adequate pile support. Evidence of ground liquefaction was found in many
areas where mud bubbles had reached the surface.
About 8,000 people lost their lives. Ninety percent of all deaths were the result of
the tsunami.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 Earthquake and Tsunami Survey
In response to this tsunami disaster, Dr. George
Pararas-Carayannis (then Director of ITIC) and
Mr. Sydney Wigen (Associate Director of ITIC)
flew to the Philippines to conduct a survey. In
Manila they met with the administrator of
PAGASA, Dr. Roman L. Kintanar and
Commodore Jayma Prsbitero, Director of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey and staff members. A
tentative plan for the survey of the stricken area
was drawn, with the support of these two
agencies.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

Earthquake and Tsunami Survey
For maximum coverage of the extensive survey area, the team split. Dr. Pararas-Carayannis
proceeded to Mindanao accompanied by Mr. Antonio Sucra of PAGASA. Mr. Wigen proceeded to the Sulu
Islands. In Zamboanga City, Mindanao, the ITIC/PAGASA team was joined by Mr. Rolando Valensuela,
supervising seismologist of PAGASA and an assistant. The objective of the survey was to obtain
measurements of the tsunami wave heights, extent of inundation and gather additional information on the
earthquake and the tsunami and its effects in the region.
After a preliminary survey of the coastal areas in the vicinity of Zamboanga City, the survey
party flew with army helicopters to Pagadian City in the state of Southern Zamboanga. On the second day
in Pagadian City, the ITIC/PAGASA team was joined by Dr. Robert Wallace of the U.S. Geological
Survey. In extending the survey of the area, the team was given logistical support by the Governor of
South Zamboanga, Mr. Tecsen. The military commander at Cotabato provided army support and two
helicopters. With such support the team surveyed the villages of Margosatubig, Malangas, Alicia, Tabina,
San Pablo, Labangan and Tukuran. The survey of the eastern part of the Moro Gulf was extended as far
north as Bolon and in the offshore islands of Sacol, Malanipa and Tictauan. In addition to the ground
measurements an aerial photographic survey was conducted, flying at low altitude along the coast.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

Earthquake and Tsunami Survey
In the following two days the survey extended along the north and eastern part of
Llana Bay, including the area of Karomatan, Malabang, Cotabato City, Bongo Island,
Linek, Kinini, Resa Bay and Port Lebak. Port Lebak was the southernmost point along
the eastern part of the Moro Gulf that was visited.
Following the investigation of the north and eastern side of the Moro Gulf the
survey party returned to Zamboanga City to begin inspection of the western side of the
Moro Gulf. Aircraft for this leg of the survey were made available by the military
command in Zamboanga City. The survey continued in the islands of Basilan and Jolo and
some data was collected. The survey along the eastern portion of the islands of Basilan and
Jolo in the Sulu Island Group was somewhat hampered by logistical problems and an
ongoing civil war. Unable to proceed further on these islands, the survey was extended to
the north of Zamboanga City and to the offshore islands of Sacol, Malanipa and Tictsuan.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 Based on the survey, it was determined that
the maximum height of the tsunami waves
in the entire Moro Gulf were in the order of
4.5 meters (14-15 feet), which was
considerably less than what had been
reported in the newspapers. Such large
waves occurred at Alicia, Pagadian City,
Bongo Island, Lebak, Resa Bay and the east
coasts of Basilan and Jolo Islands.

Tsunami destruction at a Moslem fishing village in Llana Bay (Photo: G. Pararas-Carayannis)

Pagadian City - Pagadian City was the major city in the area that was struck by both
the earthquake and the tsunami and sustained the greatest number of casualties.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 Based on the distribution of wave heights,
estimates of travel times and the directional failure
of structures, it was concluded that the tsunami
generating area was in the upper part of Moro Gulf,
somewhat south of Baganian Peninsula and that the
fault line was primarily underwater and had an
orientation from southeast to northwest - paralleling
the Cotabato Trench. This conclusion is supported
by ground deformation and building failures at both
Tabina and Cotabato City and reported earthquake
intensities.

Another scene of tsunami destruction at a Moslem fishing village in Llana Bay (Photo: G. Pararas-Carayannis)

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

PICTURES

Bridge destroyed by the earthquake in Cotabato (Photo: G. Pararas-Carayannis)

 PICTURES

Building destroyed by the earthquake in Detail of structural building failure caused by the
Cotabato (Photo: G. Pararas-Carayannis) earthquake in Cotabato (Photo: G. Pararas-
Carayannis)
Tectonic Setting of the Region

Epicenters of the August 16, 1976 and of the March 6, 2002 earthquakes
and proximity to the Cotabato Trench (Source:PHIVOCS)
The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake
Tectonic Setting of the Region
The tectonics of the Celebes Sea-Sulu Sea region, between the Philippine Islands and the
southern Philippine trench on the northeast and Borneo on the southwest, are complex. The region
is characterized by deep basins and bold submarine ridges which have resulted from intensive,
large-scale faulting of strike-slip, thrust, and block types accompanied by extensive volcanism
(Krauss 1966). There are a total of 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines.
There are several fault zones in the region that are capable of producing major earthquakes
and destructive local tsunamis. The two major fault zones that are more dangerous are the Sulu
Trench in the Sulu Sea and the Cotabato Trench. The Cotabato Trench is a region of subduction
that crosses the Celebes Sea and the Moro Gulf in Southern Mindanao.
Deep-focus earthquakes occur along the NNE axis of the Celebes sea basin into the southern
Philippines. Shallow-focus earthquakes occur between this axis and the southwestern side of the
Philippine trench.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

SEISTIMITY OF THE REGION
The Moro Gulf earthquake of
August 16, 1976 occurred near the
Cotabato trench - a region of
subduction. According to the
PHIVOLCS historical catalog of
earthquakes for the last 100 years, this
region of the southern Philippines is
characterized by moderate to high
seismicity. Most of the earthquakes that
occur along the Cotabato trench are
shallow, although very deep events also
occur.
 

The diagram by B. Bautista (1996) shows the concentration of earthquake hypocenters along a section
of the tectonic boundary defined by the Cotabato Trench.

The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

 A Call for Resilience
The great earthquake and tsunami of 1976 also prompted Marcos to revise the provision of
the National Building Code a year later. The said code stipulates that structures built must be
resilient to an Intensity 8 earthquake. It was also in the late 1970s when he created the forerunner of
today’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council which is tasked to ensure the
protection of the Filipino people in times of disasters.
Four decades after the tragedy, people in the coastal regions of Mindanao continue to
commemorate the Moro Gulf tsunami that claimed the lives of thousands and left many survivors
traumatized. Mayor Romeo Pulmones of Pagadian City, for instance, keeps the memories of the
victims alive by passing an ordinance that made August 17 an “earthquake and tsunami day.”
The local government also conducts a series of earthquake and tsunami drills especially
during the National Disaster Consciousness month, in hopes that the public will be better prepared
once a catastrophe as intense as what happened in 1976 strikes again.
VIDEO

VIDEO: The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami and Earthquake

SUBMITTED BY:
Joefrey P. Baluma
GRADE 12- ICT PROGRAMMING
SUBMITTED TO:

Dr. Christine V. Cubillo

Instructor