No Filipino casualty in Papua New Guinea quake

No Filipino was among the more than 100 fatalities in the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea nine days ago and the 6.8-magnitude aftershock recorded on March 7, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday. (PNA photo)

MANILA — No Filipino was among the more than 100 fatalities in the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea nine days ago and the 6.8-magnitude aftershock recorded on March 7, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

According to the Philippine Embassy in Port Moresby, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol earlier met with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to personally extend President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s condolences to the earthquake’s victims.

Ambassador Bienvenido Tejano said the private sector delegation accompanying Piñol also pledged to donate 1,000 bags of rice and a 40-foot container of canned goods for the quake victims.

Tejano said the Embassy continues to monitor the situation and is coordinating with local authorities and the Filipino community to ensure that everyone is safe and accounted for.

An estimated 36,000 Filipinos are living in Papua New Guinea and about 300 more are in neighboring Solomon Islands.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano also extended his sympathies to Papua New Guinea after the powerful aftershock in the southern part of the country claimed more lives on March 7.

“We express our condolences to the government and people of Papua New Guinea and pray that last night’s aftershock would be the last,” Cayetano said in a statement.