- An honorary consul said that no Filipinos were harmed during the earthquake in Ecuador
- The consulate official said that Filipinos experienced fear during the incident
- Nearly 400 people have died and 2,500 persons were injured during the natural disaster
The Philippines Consulate in Ecuador has announced that all Filipinos living in the country are safe despite the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck the South American republic over the weekend.
In an article written by Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena for GMA News Online on April 18, 2016, it was disclosed that Honorary Consul Corazon Oliva de Reyes affirmed through an e-mail sent to reporters that no Filipino was hurt during the jolt that left nearly 400 people dead and 2,500 persons injured.
“We are so thankful to our dear Lord for making us all Filipinos safe here in Ecuador. No one suffered or got injured but we all got scared,” De Reyes said in her message.
On Saturday, a powerful earthquake affected the Pacific coast of the country where over 16 million people are residing.
The disaster caused panic among the nation’s citizens, especially after a number of buildings, roads and bridges collapsed.
According to economists, the incident will greatly affect industries in Ecuador, which were already forecasted to plunge on a near-zero growth rate this year due to the decrease in income generated from oil products.
“Reconstruction will cost billions of dollars,” said Rafael Correa, the country’s president.
Based on the data disclosed by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas in 2013, there are only around 120 Filipinos living and working in Ecuador.
“We are all blessed to be safe and sound here in Ecuador,” De Reyes said; praying that no further incidents similar to the recent earthquake will occur in the near future.
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