A prophecy made a Brazilian psychic who goes by the name of Jucelino Nóbrega da Luz about a magnitude 8.1 earthquake that will hit the country on July 18, 2008 is a hoax according to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The alleged prophecy has been posted and reposted in various blogs and e-mails. PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum Jr., however, cautioned the public against spreading wrong information to other people. He reminded the public that not all things in the world wide web or sent through SMS are true. “Nobody can predict an earthquake as to the exact magnitude, time and actual date,” Solidum said. Earthquakes can happen anytime, especially in earthquake-prone countries such as ours therefore we must know what to do before, during and after an earthquake.