TheUS Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicentre of the quake struck froma depth of 44 kilometres north of the city of Dumaguete, Negros island.Half an hour later, two tremors were felt in the region.
The quake killed one child and caused panic in cities where buildings shook, authorities said.
ThePhilippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued tsunami alertlevel 2 for central coastal areas. It advises coastal residents to bealert for tsunami.
Earlier, on Feb. 5, an earthquake measuring5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Mindanao, the second largest island ofthe Philippines, with the depth of its epicentre being 504.80 km./.