THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed that none of the 60 Filipinos in Syria were killed nor hurt in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck neighboring Turkey.
“The Philippine Embassy in Damascus reported on Feb. 6 that leaders of the Filipino community have been contacted and they confirmed that no Filipino was injured as a result of the earthquake in regions including those that were greatly affected such as Aleppo, Hama and Latakia,” Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza said in a WhatsApp message to reporters on Tuesday.
Ms. Daza said there are 27 Filipinos in the Syrian city of Aleppo, 19 in Latakia, 11 in Tartous, and three in Hama.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake with epicenter in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, which has been followed by hundreds of aftershocks, has killed over 4,300 people in Turkey and Syria.
“I offer my condolences to the people of Turkey and Syria for the tragic loss of lives and catastrophic damage caused by yesterday’s quake,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo said via Twitter on Tuesday.
“Philippine Embassies in the affected countries are monitoring situation and we are coordinating with them on the condition of Filipinos in their jurisdictions,” he added.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Tuesday evening that the Philippine government will send rescue teams and emergency supplies such as winter clothing to help in the response efforts. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan