September by the numbers
Most of the month's earthquakes were far too small to feel. Here is how the 1,943 events break down by magnitude:
| Magnitude | Count | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Below 2.0 | 656 | Detected only by instruments |
| 2.0 – 2.9 | 987 | Rarely felt, except right near the epicenter |
| 3.0 – 3.9 | 260 | Often felt nearby as light shaking |
| 4.0 – 4.9 | 39 | Felt widely and can rattle objects; damage is rare |
| 5.0 – 5.9 | 1 | Can cause damage if shallow and near towns |
| 6.0 and above | 0 | None in September |
The busiest day was September 13, with 99 recorded quakes. The quietest days still had 46. Of all the quakes, 92% were shallow (less than 70 km deep), 145 were intermediate depth, and just one was deeper than 300 km.
The 10 strongest earthquakes of September 2026
| Mag. | Date & time | Location (PHIVOLCS) | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4 | Sept 1, 9:22 PM | 64 km SE of Balut Island, Sarangani (Davao Occidental) | 113 km |
| 4.9 | Sept 22, 7:48 AM | 102 km SSW of Balut Island (Davao Occidental) | 5 km |
| 4.9 | Sept 16, 7:50 PM | 83 km E of Baganga (Davao Oriental) | 5 km |
| 4.8 | Sept 30, 9:34 AM | 19 km WSW of Mamburao (Occidental Mindoro) | 24 km |
| 4.8 | Sept 12, 11:37 AM | 306 km SE of Balut Island (Davao Occidental) | 154 km |
| 4.7 | Sept 28, 11:01 PM | 168 km E of Jose Abad Santos (Davao Occidental) | 55 km |
| 4.7 | Sept 15, 10:03 AM | 15 km N of Cortes (Surigao del Sur) | 22 km |
| 4.6 | Sept 9, 3:07 PM | 108 km SSW of Balut Island (Davao Occidental) | 11 km |
| 4.5 | Sept 23, 12:33 PM | 52 km NNE of Calayan (Cagayan) | 4 km |
| 4.5 | Sept 12, 12:10 PM | 26 km N of Claveria (Cagayan) | 8 km |
The strongest quake, the M5.4 on September 1, was 113 km deep. Deep quakes lose much of their energy before reaching the surface, so it was much less damaging than a shallow quake of the same size would be. Most of the top 10 were offshore. The ones closest to towns were the M4.8 near Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, and the M4.7 near Cortes, Surigao del Sur.
Where the earthquakes happened
Mindanao accounted for just over half of all quakes (about 53%), followed by Luzon (about 30%) and the Visayas (about 18%). The most active provinces, based on the nearest reference town in PHIVOLCS reports:
- Davao Occidental: 453 quakes, including 97 of magnitude 3+. Most were around Balut and Sarangani Islands.
- Sarangani: 165, with more than 100 off Glan.
- Davao Oriental: 135, along the Philippine Trench offshore.
- Cagayan: 122, including two M4.5 quakes off Calayan and Claveria.
- Surigao del Norte (120) and Surigao del Sur (119): steady activity along the eastern seaboard.
That pattern matches the country's main earthquake sources: the subduction trenches east and south of Mindanao and the active zones around northern Luzon. For the geology behind it, see why the Philippines has so many earthquakes.
The Sarangani aftershocks are winding down
The biggest story isn't a single quake. It's the steady decline of the aftershock sequence from the magnitude 7.8 Sarangani earthquake of June 8, 2026. Monthly totals from PHIVOLCS show the curve clearly:
Earthquakes recorded per month by PHIVOLCS, April to September 2026. The M7.8 Sarangani quake struck on June 8.
The count of magnitude 4+ quakes shows the same trend: 161 in June, 91 in July, 68 in August and 40 in September. That is back in line with April (35) and May (49), before the mainshock. This gradual decay is what seismologists expect from Omori's Law.
"Winding down" doesn't mean "over"
Large aftershocks can still happen months after a major earthquake. In August, an M6.4 struck the same area. Southern Mindanao is also naturally one of the most active regions in the country. If you live there, keep your go-bag ready and keep practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
Cebu, one year on
September 30 marked one year since the magnitude 6.9 earthquake off Bogo City, Cebu, which killed more than 70 people and damaged homes, churches and roads across northern Cebu. PHIVOLCS still recorded 43 small quakes near Bogo in September 2026. The largest was M4.2. Such late aftershocks are normal a year after an event that size.
Other areas to note
- Occidental Mindoro: an M4.8 west of Mamburao on September 30, one of the strongest quakes near a populated area this month.
- Zambales: M4.4 quakes near Masinloc (September 4) and offshore Palauig (September 28), from the active zone west of Luzon.
- Northern Luzon: two M4.5 quakes off Cagayan (September 12 and 23), with steady activity around Batanes and Calayan.
- Leyte: an M4.4 near Capoocan on September 17.
Switch the time window to "30 days" to see every recent quake, the active faults, and daily activity.
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes hit the Philippines in September 2026?
PHIVOLCS recorded 1,943 earthquakes, about 65 a day. 681 were magnitude 2.5 or higher, 40 were magnitude 4.0 or higher, and only one reached magnitude 5.
What was the strongest earthquake in September 2026?
A magnitude 5.4 on September 1 at 9:22 PM, about 64 km southeast of Balut Island, Sarangani (Davao Occidental), at a depth of 113 km.
Are Sarangani aftershocks still happening?
Yes, but much less often. Monthly counts fell from 4,757 in June to 1,943 in September, close to the pre-quake level.
Is it normal to have this many earthquakes?
Yes. The Philippines sits on several active plate boundaries, and PHIVOLCS detects many tiny quakes nobody feels. Before June 2026 it recorded roughly 1,500 to 1,800 a month.
Related: the strongest Philippine earthquakes since 2020, how earthquakes are monitored in the Philippines, and magnitude vs. intensity explained.
Data: PHIVOLCS Latest Earthquake Information and PHIVOLCS monthly earthquake lists, retrieved October 13, 2026. Counts include all events PHIVOLCS listed for the month, and agencies may revise them. The Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon split is approximate, based on epicenter latitude. Cebu casualty figure: NDRRMC reports, October 2025.