Manila, June 9 -- All areas located along the six active trenches in the country could experience an earthquake of up to 8.2 in magnitude, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Tuesday.

These trenches are the Philippine Trench (located from East Luzon to Southeast Mindanao); East Luzon Trough; Manila Trench; Negros Trench; Sulu Trench; and Cotabato Trench, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.

A magnitude 7.8 offshore Sarangani earthquake jolted parts of Mindanao last Monday, which was generated by the Cotabato Trench. Bacolcol confirmed that it was so far the strongest quake in the Philippines this year.

However, the strongest recorded is s...