MANILA, Philippines — None of the estimated 500 Filipinos in Haiti were among the dead or injured when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the Caribbean nation last Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
The earthquake killed at least 12 persons and injured 188 others as it caused damage to buildings in the country.
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A magnitude 5.2 aftershock was felt a day after the tremor, sparking fear among residents in the coastal city of Port-de-Paix.
The Philippine government has expressed its condolences to Haiti, which is still recovering from a magnitude 7 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people in 2010.
Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Philippine Honorary Consul General Fitzgerald is monitoring the situation in Haiti and is ready to assist any Filipino who may have been affected by the earthquake.
The epicenter of the Saturday earthquake was located about 19 kilometers northwest of Port-de-Paix, about 219 from the country's capital Port-au-Prince.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise has urged people to donate blood and asked international aid agencies to coordinate with local agencies to avoid duplicated efforts.
Je suis en route pour Port-de-Paix et Gros morne. Je vais m’enquérir personnellement de la situation, suite au passage du séisme. Je veux m’assurer que l’appareil étatique est mobilisé à fond pour venir en aide aux victimes. pic.twitter.com/pdmbFiJgPW
— Président Jovenel Moïse (@moisejovenel) October 7, 2018
Je suis sur place, dans les zones touchées par le séisme, afin d’apporter de l’aide à la population. Le PM est également sur les lieux pour superviser les équipes de secours et coordonner leurs actions. Je félicite cet élan de solidarité et de soutien de la part des citoyens. pic.twitter.com/KCjG6FLdBc
— Président Jovenel Moïse (@moisejovenel) October 7, 2018
Eprouvés mais pas délaissés...mon engagement envers les familles reste pour moi une priorité. pic.twitter.com/JYhhwGCZVK
— Président Jovenel Moïse (@moisejovenel) October 7, 2018
The quake was felt lightly in the capital, as well as in the neighboring Dominican Republic and in eastern Cuba, where no damage was reported.
In Haiti, officials have struggled to shore up buildings despite the two major fault lines along Hispaniola, which is the island shared with the Dominican Republic.
The damage from the temblors was visible. In Gros-Morne, one bed was covered in rubble, while the exterior walls of some homes were visibly cracked. Others tilted at precarious angles. — Patricia Lourdes Viray with AP