Manila: A small earthquake shook buildings in the Philippine capital of Manila today but caused no damage, the Government said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake had a magnitude of 3.8, and hit in Bulacan province about 50 kilometres to the north of Manila.

-We are not expecting any damage. We also have no reports of any casualties,- civil defence chief Benito Ramos said.

Phivolcs seismologist Ishmael Narag said on DZBB radio no aftershocks were expected because it was such a small earthquake.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire — a belt around the Pacific Ocean dotted by active volcanoes and unstable ocean trenches.

One fault line runs directly under Manila, a chaotic megacity of about 15 million people, and government seismologists as well as international experts have warned the capital is unprepared for a major quake.