THE Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) in Taiwan said no Filipino casualty has so far been reported following the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that hit the City of Hualien.
In a radio interview, Meco deputy resident representative Alice Visperas said there are no reported injuries or fatalities among the around 150,000 Filipinos in Taiwan following the strong earthquake.
“Awa naman ng Diyos, maayos naman ang kababayan natin dito (In God's mercy, our countrymen are doing well here). Wala pang reported injuries and casualties among the Filipino community,” she said.
“Sobrang lakas. Parang sa buong buhay ko, ngayon lang ako nakaramdam ng ganon,” she added.
(Very strong. It seems like it was the strongest quake I’ve felt in my whole life.)
In Hualien town, Visperas said there were around 5,000 Filipinos there.
She said they are continuously coordinating with the Filipino community leaders in Taiwan to monitor their situation and ensure their safety.
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers said it is also monitoring the situation of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan.
“The DMW's three Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in Taiwan immediately activated protocols with Filipino communities, leaders, relevant Taiwan government agencies as well as employers and trade associations to ascertain the safety and status of Taiwan-based OFWs,” it said in a statement.
“The Taiwan MWOs are prepared to provide immediate assistance to affected OFWs as necessary,” it added.
The DMW said that as of December 2023, there are 67,475 OFWs in Taiwan. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)