Daily Tribune
This photo taken by Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) on 3 April 2024 shows a damaged building in Hualien, after a major earthquake hit Taiwan's east. A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan's east on the morning of 3 April, prompting tsunami warnings for the self-ruled island as well as parts of southern Japan and the Philippines.
CNA / AFP
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said that the Philippines would extend assistance to thousands of Filipinos affected by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Taiwan.
In a social media post, Marcos said the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is "diligently ensuring" the safety of the 159,480 Filipinos currently residing in Taiwan.
"Our hearts are with the people of Taiwan as they endure the aftermath of today's powerful earthquake," Marcos said on X (formerly Twitter).
"We stand ready to assist and support our fellow Filipinos in Taiwan in any way possible during this difficult period," Marcos added.
A strong earthquake rocked Taiwan's eastern coast at 7:58 a.m. local time Wednesday, affecting Taipei, southern Japan, eastern China, and the Philippines.
Hualien and its mountainous surroundings have suffered the most damage, with at least four dead and hundreds of people injured, while some dozens are stuck in several buildings.
The Philippines and Japan issued tsunami warnings after Taiwan's largest earthquake in decades, but the Philippines lifted the warning at 10:33 a.m.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said earlier that no Filipinos were hurt following the earthquake, but preemptive protocols have been established to ensure the safety of all Filipino nationals in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Globe Telecom said it is providing complimentary roaming services to Filipinos in Taiwan.
In a statement from the telco firm, both postpaid and prepaid customers, along with TM users using roaming services in Taiwan, will receive a free package comprising 15 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls, 15 text messages across all networks, and 1 gigabyte of data for seven days, without any additional charges.
“Tens and thousands of Filipinos work and live in Taiwan, with thousands more going on a visit annually. We hope that through this immediate connectivity support, we can help our customers there contact their loved ones and cope in the aftermath of this temblor," Paula Rivera-Castillo, head of Globe International Business, said in a statement.
