Barely a week after the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake, the Philippines' Central Visayas region has again been struck by a 5.4 magnitude quake on Monday morning, one of the thousands of aftershocks of the original temblor.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the 5.4 magnitude earthquake, which struck 7:03 am local time on Monday, was located 37 kilometres northeast of Tagbilaran City at a depth of 10 kilometres.

It was felt as Intensity III in Tagbilaran, Intensity IV in Metro Cebu and Intensity V in San Isidro, Bohol.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), in a report time stamped as of 4 am, Monday, last week's temblor had given off a total of 2,193 recorded aftershocks, 46 were felt in Bohol and other affected provinces.

Meanwhile, cost of damages to infrastructure caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake has reached ₱759.64 million (AU$18.22 million).

Bulk of the damaged infrastructure, which include roads, bridges, flood control and school and public buildings, are found in Bohol at P655.88 million (AU$15.73 million), P96.16 million (AU$2.30 million) in Cebu and P7.35 million (AU$176,266) in Siquijor, according to a 6 pm update issued by the NDRRMC on Sunday evening.

Read: Bohol, Cebu Earthquake: 7.4 Magnitude Quake Hit PH Provinces; Damage, Cracks to Properties Reported (PHOTOS)

Among those badly damaged were old churches, the Philippines' being the bailiwick of the Roman Catholic religion in Southeast Asia.

"Heritage is a non-renewable resource. When it is destroyed, it will not come back. Even memories are not enough to bring it back," Atty Trixie Angeles from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) told local news outlet the Manila Bulletin.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake damaged a total of 22 centuries-old churches in Bohol island, famous for its Chocolate Hills, tarsiers and pristine beaches. Two - the Our Lady of Light Church (Loon Church) built in 1753, and the Santa Cruz Parish Church (Maribojoc Church) - were totally razed to the ground.

Other major historical churches badly damaged were the

  • Assumption of Our Lady Shrine Parish in Dauis, built in 1697;
  • Most Holy Trinity Parish (Loay Church), built in 1822;
  • San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish (Dimiao Church), built in 1750;
  • St. Michael The Archangel Parish (Clarin Church), built in 1924;
  • St. Anthony de Abbot Church (Carmen Church), built in 1874.

According to the NDRRMC in the same update issued on Sunday evening, the number of fatalities remained at 185. Injured persons reached 583 while the number of missing were at nine.

Read: 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Topples Down Historic Buildings and Churches in Philippines (PHOTOS)