The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC is closely monitoring the impact of Hurricane Ian in Florida, particularly on the safety of the approximately 168,000 Filipinos in the area, mostly working as healthcare professionals.

"The Embassy is in close contact with the members of the Filipino community in the affected areas. Hurricane Ian has caused massive flooding and millions of homes and businesses remain without power," DFA Spokesperson Teresita Daza said.

Earlier, the Embassy issued an advisory to the Filipino community in Florida "to undertake all necessary preparations and to heed the warnings of local officials."

"Fortunately, we have not received any reports of Filipino casualties so far," Daza said.

"We will continue to monitor the situation as we stand ready to provide assistance," she added.

Hurricane Ian is reportedly heading towards South Carolina where there are approximately 17,500 Filipinos residing.

The hurricane has weakened to Category 1, down from Category 4 when it first made a landfall in Southwest Florida.