A magnitude 6.9 earthquake rattled the southern Mindanao region of the Philippines on Friday.
The quake struck off the shore of the Mindanao region, at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami was expected.
There were no immediate reports of casualties but officials were checking a shopping mall reported to have been damaged.
"The employees were ordered evacuated for their safety. According to police in the area, there was extensive damage but we could not ascertain definitely yet the extent," said Amor Mio, police chief of Koronadal city, near the quake's epicentre.
PHIVOLCS director Teresito Bacolcol told DZRH radio the earthquake's intensity was "destructive, so we would expect damage".
Philippines' seismology agency said the quake lasted several seconds and advised residents to be on alert for aftershocks and damage.
Radio announcer Leny Aranego of General Santos city in South Cotabato said the strong earthquake damaged walls and toppled some computers from desks.
"We saw how the walls cracked and computers fell," Aranego told DZRH radio station.
Passengers at an airport in General Santos City were evacuated to the tarmac, said Michael Ricafort, was about to board a plane to Manila when the quake hit.
The Philippines lies on the "Ring of Fire", a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is prone to seismic activity.
