Philippines earthquake: 5.3 magnitude quake strikes off north-east coast

National Institute for Seismology does not expect any aftershocks nor damage

Students and educators practice evacuation procedures during an earthquake drill at an elementary school in Quezon City, Metro Manila. EPA

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake has hit the Philippines.

It struck off the north-east coast on Wednesday, at about 1pm local time.

No damage or aftershocks are expected, according to the National Institute for Seismology.

Tremors were felt in the Manila metropolitan area, according to the institute.

Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches across South-East Asia and the Pacific.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr greets residents after a strong quake struck Bangued, Abra province in July. AP

More than 20 people were injured after a 6.4 magnitude quake struck the north of the country in October.

Several people were killed after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in the mountainous province of Abra in July. It was the strongest recorded in the country in several years.

Earthquake drills are held nationwide every three months to prepare for potential tsunamis.

Schools conduct mock evacuations and emergency services stage drills to enhance disaster response.

In October 2013, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Bohol Island in the central Philippines, killing more than 200 people and triggering landslides.

Nearly 400,000 were displaced and tens of thousands of houses were damaged by the quake.

It altered the island's landscape and a "ground rupture" pushed up a stretch of land by up to three metres, creating a wall of rock above the epicentre.

In 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the northern Philippines created a ground rupture stretching more than 100km.

Fatalities were estimated at more than 1,200 and major damage was caused to buildings in Manila.

- With reporting from AFP