By Alec Go
The House of Representatives will send $100,000 financial assistance as humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Turkey, the Office of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez announced Sunday, Feb. 12.
The aid will be extended through the Speaker’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative, which was able to raise P70.92 million cash and pledges during its launch on November 14.
Another P49.2 million in cash contributions was raised in the same month from lawmakers and private entities for relief operations to respond to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng’s impact.
The total assistance will be turned over to Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol and his wife Indri Puspitarasi on Monday.
Romualdez noted that Turkey was among those who provided immediate assistance to the Philippines during the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
“The assistance extended by Turkey, the United States and our allies and friends abroad helped ease the pain and suffering of our people,” he said.
Turkey and Syria were hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6, the deadliest quake recorded globally, reportedly killing over 29,000 individuals including two Filipinos.
The Philippines has already sent an 82-member team composed of rescuers and medical professionals for a humanitarian mission to Turkey last week. – gb
