Philippines receives Japan aid for quake-hit areas

The Philippines received emergency relief aid from the Japanese government to help quake affected areas in Northern Luzon, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the DFA said the donations were received, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in light of the “strong cooperation between the Philippines and Japan on humanitarian assistance and disaster response.”

The department said donations including camping tents, sleeping pads, generators, plastic sheets, and water containers were turned over on August 2.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko, JICA chief representative Sakamoto Takema, DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs Jesus Domingo, and DSWD Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Rommel Lopez were present during the turnover ceremony.

Around 2,400 aftershocks have been recorded so far after the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Abra on July 27, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.

Meanwhile, a state of calamity was declared in the province of Abra last Thursday, due to massive destruction caused by the earthquake.—LDF, GMA News