Eastern samar: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its ground presence and security operations in Eastern Samar following Monday's magnitude 6 earthquake that shook the province.

According to Philippines News Agency, personnel from Police Regional Office-8 (Eastern Visayas) were immediately deployed to assist affected areas, ensure community safety, and maintain public order. "Our priority is to secure communities, prevent opportunistic crimes, and support evacuation and rescue efforts where needed," PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement Tuesday.

The earthquake struck parts of Eastern Samar at 2:09 p.m., with its epicenter located nine kilometers northwest of San Julian municipality. Initial reports indicated no major damage. The quake was felt at Intensity 5 in Can-avid, Dulag, Alangalang, and Gandara. Intensity 4 was recorded in Abuyog, Palo, and Carigara, while Intensity 3 was experienced in Naval, Hernani, Ormoc City, Hilongos, Albuera, Baybay, Villaba, and Isabel. Ground shaking was also observed in parts of Southern Leyte, Sorsogon, Cebu, Iloilo, Masbate, and Davao Occidental.

The PNP said it is working alongside disaster response teams to ensure that communities remain secure during relief and recovery efforts. Meanwhile, Nartatez also directed PRO-8 to assess operational readiness on the ground, including checking police facilities and ensuring communication lines remain open in affected municipalities. "I have directed PRO-8 to assess if there is major damage to our police facilities. But rest assured that we have contingency measures in place, including backup communication systems and mobile deployment, to ensure uninterrupted police service," he said.