© Bayan Patroller Lovella Elejorde
In a photo and video shared by Bayan Patroller Lovella Elejorde, residents were abuzz with the oarfish that was found along the shore of Talisay, Libagon, Southern Leyte.
Witnesses said the oarfish was still alive when they saw it but was already weak until it died eventually.
Teresa Regis, Municipal Agriculturist Officer of Libagon Souther Leyte, said two fishermen saw the oarfish.
Regis added the oarfish was female and is estimated to be 14.4-feet long and 1.2-feet wide.
This would be the third oarfish sighted in their municipality this year, according to Regis.
In a phone interview, Elejorde said the oarfish sighting, believed to be a premonition for an earthquake, stirred surprise and fear among them.
"Nagulat [yung mga tao] kasi nung last week lumindol dito...Natakot din kasi yung oarfish nasa ilalim yan," she said.
[We were surprised because there was an earthquake here last week. We were also scared because the oarfish usually reside in the deep sea.]
The Phivolcs monitored a 2.8-magnitude earthquake west of the municipality of Hinundayan last Thursday and a 2.5-magnitude earthquake east of the municipality of Pintuyan last Friday.
Some experts believe that deep-sea fish are capable of sensing tremors on the Earth's crust.
According to Kiyoshi Wadatsumi, in a statement published by Japan Times, such aquatic creatures are more sensitive to the movements of faults.
Two days before a 6.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Surigao del Norte, an oarfished was caught off the waters of its adjacent province, Agusan del Norte.
Comment: Three days later in the Philippines: 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocks near Talaga, south of Manila