Homes shook as a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit the south of the Philippines today.

CCTV footage shows a car rocking violently in a family's yard as the tremor jolted Sultan Kudarat province on January 28.

State seismological agency PHIVOLCS said the quake struck 40 kilometres (25 miles) off the coast of Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat, at 2:46 pm local time. The earthquake was tectonic in origin and had a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles).

The agency said no damage was expected, but aftershocks may occur.

Authorities preemptively evacuated residents in coastal areas despite no tsunami warning being raised.

The earthquake struck just 15 minutes after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake rattled the same region.

PHIVOLCS said the twin quakes were part of an ongoing 'earthquake swarm' caused by movements along the Cotabato Trench.

PHIVOLCS director Dr Teresito Bacolcol said: 'It may or may not lead to a larger event. Earthquake swarms do not automatically mean that a stronger earthquake will follow.'

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands inside the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where the majority of Earth's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes happen.