Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes N. Philippines

MANILA - An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted seas about 22 kilometers off the coast of northern Philippine province of Batangas at 7:52 pm local time on Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

No casualties and losses have been reported so far. The earthquake was felt in the country's capital region of Metro Manila.

The epicenter of the quake was initially determined to be 13.65 degrees north latitude and 120.54 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 36 km.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. There are about 20 to 25 earthquakes occurring in the country everyday, most of them not felt by the general populace.