THE HOUSE of Representatives, through the Speaker’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative, will provide $100,000 or about P5.4 million in financial aid to victims of last week’s earthquake that damaged Turkey and Syria.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will turn over the fund to Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol on Monday.
Mr. Romualdez noted that Turkey was one of the first countries to send assistance to Leyte and parts of Eastern Samar in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan, known locally as super typhoon Yolanda, in 2013, which killed over 6,300 people.
“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 in a statement on Sunday.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, with the death toll across the two countries hitting over 25,000 as of Sunday.
Among those who died were two Filipinos working in Turkey, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Philippines has sent an 85-member team to Turkey to help in the rescue and relief operations. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz