Philippines to send team, aid to quake-hit Turkey —Marcos

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said an 85-man team would be deployed to Turkey to assist the victims of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the said country and Syria on Monday.

According to Marcos, he is in coordination with the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the deployment of assets.

“We have organized a group of about 85 personnel together with some goods. Ang hinahanap sa atin ay mga blanket, mga winter clothing dahil siyempre ‘yung mga nasiraan ng bahay sa Turkey ay wala na silang matirahan. They’re exposed so they need all of these things,” Marcos told reporters.

(They are in need of blanket and winter clothing because many of them have lost their homes. They’re exposed so they need all of these things.)

“So we are organizing it already and I already have the assurance also of the Turkish [Airlines] that they will be the ones to bring our people and our equipment and our goods to, I suppose, to Ankara first and then to be distributed properly in Turkey,” he added.

The team is expected to leave for Turkey on Wednesday night, said Marcos.

Marcos earlier said the Philippines is ready to assist in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck central Turkey and northwest Syria.

According to the Philippine Embassy in Turkey, at least 248 Filipinos were affected by the earthquake but there have been no reported casualties so far.

A Reuters report said around 3,700 people were reported dead in Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake. —KBK, GMA Integrated News