At least 19 people have died after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines at 07:37 local time (23:37 GMT)
The quake struck off the coast of General Santos City in Mindanao - the Philippines' main southern island
At least 129 people have also been injured in the quake, police say
Several countries in the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, issued tsunami warnings but most have now been lifted
The quake had a depth of 10km, says the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr says he has "directed all relevant government agencies to act immediately", urging people to move to higher ground
Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesGeneral Santos Airport has suspended operations for safety assessments after the earthquake, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The Transport Department says operations at other airports in Mindanao remain normal.
Simon Atkinson
Australia reporter
Australia has cancelled its tsunami watch after the earthquake in the Philippines.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre had initially warned there was a “potential tsunami threat" Christmas Island and Northern Territory.
Meanwhile New Zealand authorities say "the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will pose a threat to New Zealand".
At least one person has been killed and four injured after the quake, AFP news agency reports, citing a police official in General Santos City.
Master Sergeant Robert Dagon says "a number of buildings collapsed" but he is unsure how many as they are "busy with ongoing rescues".
Image source, Philippine Red CrossThe Philippine Red Cross says it's on the "highest alert", having been deployed to the ground.
Its members are "assessing structural damage" and coordinating evacuation and relief operations, the group says in a post on social media.
General Santos, one of the areas worst-hit by today's earthquake, is known as the country's tuna capital, because of the southern port city's bountiful supplies of the fish.
It is also known as the hometown of Manny Pacquiao, the world boxing champion who was later elected congressman and senator.
Multiple aftershocks - at least 16 of them - have been recorded since the initial quake that struck off the coast of the southern Philippines at 07:37 local time (23:37 GMT).
These range from magnitudes of 1.3 to 6.7, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Now emerging on social media are videos and images of the quake's devastation in General Santos, the southern Philippine city close to the epicentre.
Videos taken by locals and shared by Philippine authorities show damaged shopfronts and at least two Jollibee restaurants - a beloved national fast food chain - collapsing during the tremor.
Image source, Philippine Information Agency
Image source, Philippine News Agency
Image source, Philippine Information Agency
Image source, Philippine Information Agency
Virma Simonette
Reporting from Manila
Agripino V Dacera Jr, the disaster management chief of General Santos City, has just told the BBC that no casualties have been reported yet from the major quake, but rescuers are trying to check on people reportedly trapped in a building.
Power had been cut earlier but has since been restored, he says, though internet connection remains erratic.
Japanese authorities have warned that tsunami waves up to 1m high could hit its southern Okinawa islands and prefectures along the country's Pacific coast at 11:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
Tsunami waves have been detected at three locations along Indonesia's coasts, according the country's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).
The three spots are Kedi in North Maluku province, Ulu Siau, and Melonguane. The waves detected range from 0.09m to 0.19m.
According to BMKG, the waves were detected at around 7:20 local time (12:20 GMT).
The Philippine civil defence and disaster management agencies are coordinating their disaster response," Marcos says in his statement.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will prepare relief goods and evacuation centres, he adds.
"I am also ordering the suspension of classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice," he says. "The safety of our children comes first".
Video from the government-run Philippine Information Agency shows buildings damaged by the earthquake in General Santos City.
One video showed a branch of fast food chain Jollibee collapsing to the pavement.
Now bringing you more from Philippine President Marcos. He says that tsunami warnings are now in effect across several coastal provinces in Mindanao.
"To our kababayans (countrymen) in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning," he says.
"Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind."
He adds that he's in "constant communication" with local authorities and will provide updates as the situation develops.
"The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," he says.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also released a statement urging the Japanese people to follow the advice of local disaster officials and evacuate to higher ground if they are told to do so.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the president of the Philippines, has issued a statement about the earthquake, saying that he has "directed all relevant government agencies to act immediately".
We'll bring you more from his statement shortly.
Filipino authorities have ordered the evacuation of coastal areas. Power and communications are down in the coastal province of Sarangani near the quake's epicentre, local authorities say.
Japan has issued tsunami advisories for various areas along its Pacific coast, from the southern Okinawa islands, to Ibaraki prefecture north-east of Tokyo.
US authorities have also warned that "widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible within the next three hours" along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.
The quake struck off the coast of General Santos City, located on Mindanao, the Philippines' main southern island.
Here's a map of its epicentre, posted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Image source, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and SeismologyA strong earthquake has just struck the southern Philippines at 07:37 local time (23:37 GMT).
The magnitude and depth of the earthquake are unclear at the moment: According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the quake had a magnitude of 7.0 and a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). The US Geological Survey has recorded its magnitude as 7.8 and its depth as 35km. The German Research Centre for Geosciences put its magnitude at 7.8 and depth at 50km.
Several countries in the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, have issued tsunami warnings.
We’ll bring you more updates on this story as we get them - stick with us.