A 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit waters off Bohol at past midnight on Tuesday, based on a bulletin issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The tremor struck off the coast of Lila, particularly 41 kilometers southeast of the town at 12:59 a.m.

Phivolcs said that the quake which was tectonic in origin hit at a depth of 551 kilometers below the ground.

No damages were expected but Phivolcs warned of possible aftershocks.

Meanwhile, Lila Mayor Arturo Piollo confirmed that there were no damages reported due to the tremor and noted that there have been no aftershocks so far.

“Sa atong pakigsusi walay reported na damyos na nahitabo sa lungsod,” Piollo said.

According to Piollo, the tremor was not felt in the town due to the depth of the underground area struck by the quake.

“Pagsusi nato sa depth sa maong linog it’s 551 km below the ground so maybe that is closer to the center of the earth than to the surface of Lila mao ng wa mabati kay lawom kaayo,” he added.

However, Piollo urged the public to remain vigilant and prepared for any calamity.

On Sunday, Lila residents reported feeling two earthquakes at dawn and in the afternoon but these were not recorded by Phivolcs.

“Dapat usab kini usa sa mga butang na atong pangandaman kay in the past few days, sa Domingo sa kadlawon dihay nabati na linog unya pag uyog sa yuta unya pagkahapon pod pero hinay lang,” Piollo said. (R. Tutas)