The quake struck at about 2 pm local time (0600 GMT), a few kilometres from Maragusan municipality in the mountainous gold-mining province of Davao de Oro on Mindanao island.
Cherrylyn Dapiton of the Maragusan disaster office confirmed there had been a landslide near a road, but it had not affected anyone or blocked traffic.
The quake lasted about 30 seconds and was followed by aftershocks, said Corporal Stephanie Clemen, with police in the city of Tagum, about 40km from Maragusan.
"We immediately went under our desks and when the ground stopped shaking we went straight outside," Clemen told AFP.
"We are still outside because a moderate aftershock just hit."
While the quake did not appear to have destroyed anything, Clemen said, it was strong enough to "cause fear".
