Roads and bridges were cracked in Cataingan, the coastal town nearest the epicenter, according to reports and photos of the aftermath.

The earthquake struck 196 kilometres southeast of Budta, Philippines, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The magnitude 6.9 quake struck an area about six kilometers northwest of Padada town in Davao del Sur province at a depth of 30 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

At least 16 people were killed after the 6.1-magnitude quake rattled much of the northern portion of the country.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Philippines main island of Luzon on Monday and several people were killed in collapsed buildings, a local official said.

A strong earthquake measuring 7.2 struck off the coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines on Saturday, and the country's seismology agency advised people to stay away from coastal areas but expected no major damage.

Hundreds of coastal residents south of the Philippine capital fled to higher ground after a series of earthquakes, fearing a tsunami would follow.

A powerful nighttime earthquake in the southern Philippines killed at least six people and injured more than 120, with officials combing through cracked buildings and nearby towns Saturday to check on the damage and other possible casualties.