By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – The Philippine Ambassador to Thailand assured Sunday that the Filipino community there remained safe, with no reports of adverse effects, following a powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar and rattled Thailand.
In an interview over state-run Radyo Pilipinas World Service, Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz Paredes said the situation has “calmed down” two days after the tragedy.
“I could feel that the situation is better compared to the day (March 28) itself when the earthquake happened,” Paredes said.
However, the Philippine Embassy in Yangon said four of 128 registered overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remained unaccounted for while the condition of three others were still being verified.
“Maging panatag po tayo na ang Embahada ay hindi titigil sa pagsasagawa ng lahat ng posibleng paraan upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipino sa (Be assured that the Embassy won’t stop implementing measures to ascertain the safety of all Filpinos in) Mandalay,” the Philippine embassy posted on Facebook.
The embassy said the Myanmar Fire Services Department and other international rescue teams continue with search and rescue operations at the collapsed Sky Villa condominium, where some Filipinos reportedly reside.
“Patuloy po tayong manalangin na ligtas ang ating mga kababayan doon (Let us continue praying that our countrymen there are safe),” the embassy said.
Paredes said that while the earthquake caused minor disruptions in Thailand, order was quickly restored, with essential services and transportation back on track.
On Friday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit near Mandalay in Myanmar and caused tremors in Thailand. A high-rise construction site collapsed in capital Bangkok.
Previous reports said the Myanmar earthquake measured 8.2 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was recorded in the central Sagaing region.
As of Sunday’s data from Myanmar’s ruling military junta, at least 1,644 people are dead, 2,376 injured, and 3,408 missing.
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay on Sunday morning was among the aftershocks recorded.
In Thailand, 18 were confirmed dead as of posting time.
READ: Embassy belies 10 reported deaths, says no Filipino hurt in Thai quake
Paredes appealed to Filipinos to be cautious about sharing information as she once again denied reports that 10 Filipinos died in Thailand. Likewise, she assured the public that the embassy remains on alert. (PNA)
