Philippines intends to give cash donation to quake-hit Syria — OCD

The Philippine government is planning to send cash donation to Syria, which was hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said Thursday.

OCD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV told reporters that their office and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are just waiting for its approval.

“We are just waiting. Actually, yung DFA is only waiting for the approval kasi ang intent is to send cash donation,” he said.

Alejandro said he has no information on the amount of donation but he said the funds will come from either the DFA or the Office of the President.

Earlier, Alejandro said the Philippines has prepared donation items that will be sent to Syria and that the government will no longer send a search and rescue team to the quake-hit country.

The Syrian government earlier made an appeal to the Philippine government for assistance following the earthquake that struck the country and Turkey.

For Turkey, the Philippines has sent an 82-man team to help the rescue operations.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake has reached 41,000, Reuters reported. 

The House of Representatives earlier turned over $100,000 or around P5.4 million donation for the victims of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey.

Two Filipinos died in the powerful earthquake. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA Integrated News