MANILA -- President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate mobilization of rescue and relief teams after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the province of Abra early Wednesday morning.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the chief executive directed all agencies involved in disaster preparation and relief to dispatch concerned personnel together with the necessary equipment for the relief and rescue efforts.

“The President is presently coordinating with NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) and the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development). He has ordered an immediate dispatch of rescue and relief teams to Abra,” she said.

“He will immediately fly to the area as soon as the all clear is given.”

Cruz-Angeles said the President is also coordinating with local officials in Abra to know the conditions on the ground and has directed telecommunication companies to provide immediate assistance to affected communities and ensure free communication to areas where telco towers may have been damaged.

As of this posting, telecom giant Globe has already responded to the request of the chief executive to provide communications support, said Cruz-Angeles.

She assured the public that the President and First Family were unharmed.

The tremor, which hit Abra at 8:43 a.m. Wednesday, was of tectonic origin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported.

It was felt at Intensity 4 in Quezon City, and the jolt was also reported in many parts of Luzon. (PND)