Earthquake.now

M5.2 Earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines — 01 September 2026

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.2 was recorded near Sarangani, Philippines on , with an epicentre 35 km southeast of Sarangani, at a focal depth of 120.8 km. It ranked as the 4th strongest of 51 earthquakes recorded in the Philippines in the preceding 30 days.

5.2 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2026-09-01 13:22:30

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.2 (moderate)

Focal depth: 120.8 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 5.1623, 125.6720

Location: 35 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines

Country: Philippines

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 418, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 21:45 local solar time at the epicentre, late at night.

This event was deeper than 89% of the 731 earthquakes recorded in the Philippines in our catalogue and stronger than 87% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 5.1623, 125.6720 — 35 km southeast of Sarangani. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.9 earthquake 23 km east of here on 05 August 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Kalbay (50 km north), Butulan (52 km north-northwest), Bukid (52 km northwest) and Nuing (56 km north-northwest).

Why the 121 km depth matters

At 121 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 121 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

394 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 event near Burias on 07 June 2026. This M5.2 event released about 7,943 times less energy than that event.

173 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 28 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the September 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the Philippines during September 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the Philippines

All recorded earthquakes in the Philippines →

Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Sarangani?

It measured magnitude 5.2 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Sarangani?

The focus was 121 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Sarangani earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.2 and a focal depth of 121 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Sarangani happen?

01 September 2026 at 13:22 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

How often do earthquakes happen near Sarangani?

394 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 event near Burias on 07 June 2026. This M5.2 event released about 7,943 times less energy than that event.