At least 15 were killed by the quake, while about 90 others were injured, the Chicago Tribune newspaper said on Friday citing officials.
Earlier media reports put the death toll at 3, saying that at least 7 were injured.
The earthquake occurred on Friday, at 14:03 GMT, in the province of Surigao del Norte.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the earthquake caused damage to several buildings and schools in the city of Surigao and a bridge collapsed in an outlying town. Runway cracks were reported at the Surigao airport.
The Philippines is part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and eruptions are frequent due to intense seismic activity.
Death toll from Philippines earthquake rises to 15
11 February 2017
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Over a dozen people died as a result of the Friday 6.5-magnitude earthquake in eastern Philippines, media report.
