The Philippines continues to provide significant assistance to Türkiye and Syria following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed thousands last week.

“Malala talaga, napakabigat ng pangyayari. Marami na silang natulungan (It’s really bad, the situation is very serious. They have helped a lot of people). They set up already a hospital at marami na silang ni-rescue (have rescued a lot). They still keep going on,” Marcos said in a media interview onboard a plane en route to Manila after his five-day official trip to Tokyo, Japan.

He also assured that the government is also stepping up efforts to help Syria.

“…Hindi lang naman Turkey ang tinamaan. Syria pati. At alam naman natin ang kalagayan sa Syria, hindi napakaganda (It’s not just Turkey that was hit. Syria too. We know the situation in Syria and it’s not good), that’s why I’m hoping to be able to do something to help them also,” he added.

As of Sunday, the Office of Civil Defense said the 82-member Philippine contingent sent to quake-hit Türkiye continues to help in search and rescue operations under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The contingent, which is currently aiding victims in Adiyaman, is expected to stay there for the next two weeks.

The Department of Migrant Workers has also established a task force and a 24/7 command center to monitor the situation of overseas Filipino workers based in Türkiye.

The 7.8 magnitude quake ranks as the world’s sixth deadliest natural disaster this century.

Reports showed that the quake killed 29,605 people in Türkiye and more than 3,500 in Syria.

In Türkiye, around 80,000 people were hospitalized while more than 1 million are in temporary shelters. (PNA)