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As of January 29, the strongest earthquake recorded this month by magnitude was the magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck Sultan Kudarat on January 28.
Claim: As seen in videos circulating online, several earthquakes were recorded in different cities and provinces across the Philippines in January 2026, the strongest reaching a magnitude of 8.6.
evaluation: error
Why we fact-checked this: Videos posted by a Facebook page named “Viral Ngayon” show harrowing footage of multiple strong earthquakes reportedly reported in Pasig City, Quezon City, other cities in Metro Manila, and several provinces in the Philippines.
A video posted on January 26 of an 8.4-magnitude earthquake in Pasig City has received over 115,000 views, 1,500 reactions, 100 comments, and 300 shares.
The page also includes a video of the 8.6 magnitude earthquake that reportedly occurred on Leyte Island. The video, which was uploaded on January 27, has received over 434,000 views, 3,200 reactions, 550 comments and 1,000 shares at the time of writing.
Another video posted on January 26, purportedly showing an 8.6 magnitude earthquake in Cubao, Quezon City, received over 229,000 views, 2,100 reactions, 200 comments and 500 shares.
The Facebook page posts a variety of content related to disasters such as earthquakes, fires, and tsunamis.
fact: According to data from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), contrary to the viral claims, there were no verified reports of an earthquake that reached magnitude 8.4 or magnitude 8.6 in January 2026. As of this writing, the strongest earthquake recorded this month by magnitude was a magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck Sultan Kudarat on January 28th.
Phivolcs previously modeled a magnitude 8.4 earthquake scenario caused by the Manila Trench, but no earthquake of that magnitude has been recorded in the history of the Philippines.
Based on official records, the strongest earthquake to hit the country was the 1976 Morro Bay earthquake in Mindanao with a magnitude of 8.0. The earthquake and resulting tsunami killed about 8,000 people, many of whom have never been found, according to an article by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of the Muslim Mindanao government. At least 10,000 people were injured and 90,000 residents were evacuated.
Phivolcs has long urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid being misled by unverified posts warning of suspected strong earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters.
Deepfake: The video of the suspected earthquake was generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. AI image analysis from DeCopy, an online software that flags AI-generated content, reveals that screenshots of viral videos are AI-generated 76% of the time.
Rappler previously debunked similar posts that used AI-generated content to depict natural disasters and spread public panic.
– Reynard Baronzo/Rappler.com
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