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THERE are no reported injuries or fatalities involving the 159,000 Filipinos in Taiwan, where a strong earthquake early Wednesday morning triggered a tsunami alert on four Philippine coastal provinces, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported,
This, as President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. assured government aid for Filipinos who may have been affected by the strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which damaged considerable infrastructure in Taiwan.
“We stand ready to assist and support our fellow Filipinos in Taiwan in any way possible during this difficult period,” the chief executive said in a social post.
Citing initial reports from the Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in Taiwan, DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans J. Cacdac said the estimated 159,000 Filipinos in Taiwan remain safe in the aftermath of the quake, which killed at least four people.
“Thus far, there is no reported injuries or fatalities from our OFW (overseas Filipino workers). We are praying very hard that it stays that way,” Cacdac said in a television interview.
He said they also have yet to receive any report of Filipinos trapped in damaged buildings in Taiwan.
“We are also in coordination with [Taiwanese] authorities on the ground to monitor those, which they saved in their ongoing rescue efforts,” Cacdac said.
DMW and Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), which serves as the country’s de facto embassy in Taiwan, are now also checking on the status and needs of Filipinos 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,” DMW said in an advisory.
“The Taiwan MWOs are prepared to provide immediate assistance to affected OFWs as necessary,” it added.
DMW established a help desk for family members of Taiwan-based OFWs, who want to find out the condition of their loved ones.
It noted they can seek the aid of the help desk via the following contact details: hotline nos.: 8522-3663, 8376-6352, 8426-0833, 8293-9155, 8252-1972; Mobile No: +63 919 067 3975; and email: repat@dmw.gov.ph*
Filipinos in Taiwan may contact the help desk via the following nos. (TAIPEI) +886 932-218-057, (KAOSHIUNG) +886 988-976-596 , and (TAICHUNG) +886 966-537-732/
Cacdac said there are 150,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and 9,000 non-OFWs in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported an earthquake occurred at 7:58 am with its epicenter some 25 kilometers southeast of Hualien County, where over 1,400 OFWs reside.
The quake damaged multiple buildings and prompted Japan and the Philippines to issue tsunami warnings.
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