Churchgoers sat still as a deadly earthquake that killed at least one person rocked the Philippines this morning.

The 6.6 magnitude quake struck 68 kilometres southeast of Masbate Island in the central Bicol region at 8:03 am local time.

Footage from a morning service in Iloilo City shows the ceiling lights being swayed by the powerful tremors as parishioners sit below, remaining calm until the quake had passed.

Elsewhere in the country, a retired police colonel, was killed when his three-storey house collapsed. The number of people injured from the earthquake is still unknown.

Buildings were also damaged. Security cameras from a shop in Northern Samar show a family running for safety as shelves stacked with products wobble dangerously.

While in Albay, a river was shaking as the powerful tremors caused the water to slam into the banks.

At a market in Masbate, there was damage to shops and stalls. The filmer said that at least one person was injured when items fell on them.

Power lines outside a shopping mall in Legazpi City shook as the tremors rocked the area.

Officials said it was the strongest earthquake in eight months in the Philippines but there were no immediate threats of a tsunami.