He extended condolences to the families who lost loved ones and offered prayers for the injured and all those affected by the earthquake.
Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross, reported that some churches partially collapsed and some schools were evacuated due to the quake.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), an eruption occurred at the Taal volcano, about 70 km south of the capital Manila.
Following the eruption, smoke clouds from the volcano reached an altitude of 2,500 meters, drifting northwest.
The Philippines, one of the countries with the most seismic activity globally, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
