House donates P5.4 million aid for Turkey quake victims

Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte on Monday turned over the House of Representatives’ $100,000 or around P5.4 million donation for the victims of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey.

In a statement, Romualdez said the assistance was personally received by Turkey’s Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol during a simple ceremony at the Speaker's Office.

Present during the ceremony were Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, House Majority Leader Manuel Dalipe of Zamboanga City, Tingog Party-list Representative Yedda Romualdez, Ambassador's wife Inddri Puspitarasi, Pangasinan Representative Ma. Rachael Arenas, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan of 4PS party-list, and Zamboanga Del Norte Representative Glona Labadlabad.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey last February 6, the strongest quake to hit the country since 1999.

The death toll from the quake in Turkey and adjacent and war-torn Syria had reached 34,000. — DVM, GMA Integrated News