MANILA - A 5.3-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.

The undersea quake struck at 11.20am around 96km south-east of the southern city of General Santos on the island of Mindanao, the US agency said.

The quake was felt in various cities in Mindanao but was not large enough to cause any major damage or panic, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

A 6.2-magnitude quake was detected off General Santos City on Dec 25.

The archipelago nation, made up of more than 7,000 islands, sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. -- AFP