PR/PNA
MANILA – The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) is continuously monitoring the situation of Filipinos in Taiwan, especially in areas badly hit by the strong earthquake on April 3.
MECO chair Silvestre H. Bello III visited Hualien County, the epicenter of the tremor, on Sunday and distributed relief packs and cash assistance to hundreds of Filipino workers whose work and lives were disrupted by the tragedy.
“President Bongbong Marcos is very much concerned with your situation here and he has instructed us to extend all needed assistance to ease your condition,” Bello told the Filipinos.
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake (7.3 and 7.4 in other reports) struck off the coast of the county in eastern Taiwan at 7:58 a.m.
The Focus Taiwan news outlet said that as of Sunday 8 a.m., there are 13 dead; 1,133 injured; and six missing.
Bello also met with county officials and thanked them for looking after the Filipinos.
“We are here to extend the sympathy of our President to the government and people of Hualien. We are also here to check the condition of our kababayan (compatriots),” he said.
MECO deputy resident representative Alice Visperas, Migrant Workers Office director Cesar Chavez and Welfare Officer Ruth Vivaldi joined Bello.
Hualien, the biggest county and a major tourist destination in Taiwan, is host to about 1,400 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Earlier on Friday, Bello met with about 30 Filipino community group leaders who reported the situation of their members.
During the meeting, he also relayed the President’s message to the OFWS.
MECO had distributed T$150,000 (about PHP265,000) in assistance.
Bello had also visited the four OFWs who sustained injuries and handed them T$10,000 each. (PR/PNA)
