Pinoys in Panama all safe after powerful 7.7 magnitude quake, says DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Sunday that no Filipinos have been reported killed or injured in the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that rocked Panama and triggered over 100 aftershocks.

In a brief statement, DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said the Philippine Embassy in Mexico and Philippine Honorary Consulate in Panama remain in close contact with Panama authorities as developments unfold, monitor the situation, and ensure the safety of Filipinos there.

There are over 1,000 Filipinos in Panama, based on the DFA’s 2020 data.

Although no casualties were recorded, the powerful quake that jolted Central America on Friday, about 12:56 p.m. local time, toppled buildings and bridges near the epicenter, injuring nearly 30 people. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers or 6 miles.

More than hundreds of aftershocks, including those measuring magnitudes 5.8 to 6.6, prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.

The tremor was also reportedly felt in neighboring Colombia. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), its epicenter was located around kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a remote community in Herrera province in central Panama.

The USGS initially estimated it at magnitude 8.0 before revising it down to 7.7.

A video widely shared on social media showed water falling from the rooftop pool of a building more than 20 stories tall.

Another showed a bridge over the Panama Canal shaking violently yet remaining upright as vehicles crossed it.

The last major quake that struck Panama was in 1991, killing over 20 people and injuring nearly 600.

The Department of Migrant Workers, meanwhile, urged overseas Filipino workers there to reach out the Migrant Workers Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Washington, D.C through the following channels: +1 (202) 467-9426 (for MWO hotline), mwo_washingtondc@dmw.gov.ph (MWO email), and washington@owwa.gov.ph (OWWA email).