MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - Thousands living in provinces facing the Pacific Ocean evacuated their homes early Sunday hours before a tsunami from a major quake near Chile was expected to arrive, officials said.

Officials said the evacuations were orderly, with authorities saying that the waves were not expected to be higher than 1 meter.

In the popular surfing destination of Siargao on the eastern coast of Mindanao island to the south, about 10,000 people have relocated to safer areas, said Office of the Civil Defense regional director Blanche Gobenciong.

"Many of them walked to fields further inland, while others sought higher ground," provincial police chief Gilbert Cruz said.

In the province of Albay meanwhile, authorities said they had informed over 47,000 families living along the coast to move about 5 kilometers away from the shore just hours after the 8.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Chile Saturday.

Some had started moving Sunday morning, although it appeared there was no immediate danger, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said.

"The most important thing is that for people not to panic. We have prepared all our local government units since last night," Salceda said in a radio interview.

Sea travel canceled

The Philippine Coast Guard also canceled sea travels in Albay and Catanduanes.

Salceda said some families on Cagraray Island, San Miguel Island, in Bacacay municipality, Rapu-Rapu, and some barangays in Legazpi City have been evacuated.

Meanwhile, residents in Barangay Buhatan, Santo Domingo refused to evacuate, claiming they already know what to do should a big wave hit their village.

The residents have undergone nationwide tsunami drill in 2005.

Authorities said evacuees will be allowed to return to their homes once the tsunami alert level is lowered

Meanwhile, all trips originating from the port of Batangas were canceled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, leaving 200 passengers and 30 vessels bound for Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro and Calapan, Oriental Mindoro stranded.

According to PCG Batangas Station Commander Troy Cornelio, roll-on/roll-off (RORO) and fast craft vessels were prohibited from sailing as the country braced for outsized waves.

Hundreds of residents in four coastal villages – Barangay Washington, Barangay Taft, Barangay Canlanipa and Barangay San Juan- in Surigao also left their homes early Sunday. Residents have temporarily sought shelter in the provincial capitol of Surigao del Norte, reports said.

Antonio Madrio, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs)-Surigao’s science research analyst, said, although there was no mass evacuation, residents along coastal barangays should remain on alert.

An estimated 500 to 700 families in Malita, Davao del Sur, meantime, evacuated their homes as early as Saturday after the tsunami warning was raised.

Disaster officials in Quezon also ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of residents living in coastal communities Sunday morning.

First waves

Renato Solidum, Phivolcs chief, said the first waves would hit the coasts of 19 provinces on the archipelago's eastern seaboard Sunday afternoon.

He said people living in coastal areas in the following provinces fronting the Pacific Ocean should seek higher ground: Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, northernmost provinces of Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur.

"The coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean may experience tsunami of up to one meter, possibly lower," Solidum said.

"The first waves will arrive between 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. (0500 GMT and 0630 GMT)," he said.

Solidum said the waves will likely continue for several hours, and advised small fishing vessels not to venture out to sea, and for the public not to go to the beaches to watch the swells.

"The tsunami has passed Guam already since 11:30 this morning. And most likely this is passing through some coastal areas of the Philippines," he told ANC's "Dateline Philippines Sunday."

He said authorities will lower the tsunami alert level if they receive no more reports “during the first arrival of the tsunami from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Other government officials said that people should remain calm and no forced evacuation was in effect.

"We are advising everyone to stay away from the shoreline. But there is no need to panic," said Glen Rabonza, executive director of the Office of Civil Defense, in Manila.

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands with many people living in communities close to the sea. With reports from Agence France-Presse, Jose Caretero, ABS-CBN Legazpi, Vina Araneta, ABS-CBN Davao, Sarita Kare, ABS-CBN Batangas, Rodge Cultura, ABS-CBN Surigao