An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale hit the southern Philippine region of Mindanao on Sunday, but no casualty or damage was reported.

The quake was recorded at 06:43 a.m. local time (2243 GMT Saturday), and the epicenter was 145 kilometers east-southeast of General Santos, Mindanao, or 1,170 kilometers south-southeast of Manila at a depth of 145.2 kilometers, reported the United States Geological Service.

It was 2,520 kilometers east-northeast of Jakarta of Indonesia, according to the report.

The Philippines is hit regularly by earthquakes, and most of them are low in magnitude and cause little damage.

The Southeast Asian country is part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a string of islands on the Pacific Ocean rim that were formed by the eruptions of undersea volcanoes.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2009)