The shallow undersea quake struck at 3.28 pm around 80 kilometres northwest of the coastal town of Lingayen, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The quake had a depth of nine kilometres, the institute said.

It was felt in Manila and its surrounding suburbs but there were no reports of panic.

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Dec 30.

The 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