The tremor was recorded at 21:57 GMT on Wednesday, 146.1 kilometers (over 90 miles) east of the Davao City that lies on the island of Mindanao. The epicenter was located at a depth of 27 kilometers.
There are no reports about any victims or damage caused by the earthquake.
The Philippines is located in a seismologically active zone, known as the Ring of Fire, and often suffers from powerful earthquakes. The archipelago lies along the border between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which are colliding and increasing the seismological activity in the area.
The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake, which caused a powerful tsunami, is the deadliest recorded earthquake in the history of the Philippines, which left from 5,000 to 8,000 people dead.