BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday offered to help the Philippines after an earthquake struck a southern Philippines province last week.

Red Cross Society of China is to offer 50,000 U.S. dollars to the Philippines for relief work, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a daily briefing, adding that Foreign Minister Wang Yi had conveyed sympathy to his counterpart in the Philippines.

China believes that the Philippines will overcome their difficulties and recover from the earthquake in an early date, said Geng.

Eight people are reported killed in a 6.7 magnitude earthquake near Surigao City in the southern Philippines Friday night.