No reported Filipino casualties in Japan quake, says DFA official

Filipinos living in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan that was struck by a massive earthquake on Monday are safe, according to an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, in a text message, said they were able to immediately get in touch with the Filipino community in the area and that there were no reported casualties as of posting time, according to a report by Rhommel Balasbas on Super Radyo dzBB on Monday night.

“The Filipino community has been contacted and no reports of any [Filipino] casualty at this time,” the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers (OUMWA) said.

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano said Filipino community leaders have contacted their members and reported that there were no Pinoy casualties so far.

“As far as our Filipinos na nasa Japan are concerned, wala po tayong natatanggap na report na meron pong pinsala. We are in contact with the Filipino community leaders in the areas at iyon po ang na-report nila sa amin,” she told Dobol B TV.

(As far as our Filipinos in Japan are concerned, we have yet to receive a report that there were casualties.  We are in contact with the Filipino community leaders in the areas and that was their report.)

The Filipinos also followed the advice of the prefectural government to evacuate to higher ground and to avoid roads and bridges that were damaged by the quake.

The Nagoya Philippine Consulate General also issued a similar advisory and continues to monitor the situation.

De Vega said there are 1,300 out of 300,000 Filipinos in Japan who are living within the Ishikawa Prefecture.

Meanwhile, OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio said welfare officers continue to monitor the situation in Japan.

At least six people died due to the earthquake, authorities said. —With a report from Joviland Rita/BAP/KG, GMA Integrated News