MANILA, Philippines — A Filipina worker who was rescued following the deadly earthquake in Türkiye is recovering at a hospital there, the Philippine Embassy in Türkiye said on Tuesday.
The embassy said a team visited Juliva Benlingan, who was previously reported missing, to check on her condition and console her following her traumatic experience.
“As she recovers well at an Adana hospital, she thanks God for a second chance at life and the Embassy for their well-wishes,” the embassy said, adding the team provided financial assistance to Benlingan.
The embassy said it is focusing the management of its resources toward the welfare, recovery and return to normalcy of Filipino evacuees.
The needs of displaced Filipinos who arrived at a shelter in Ankara were assessed. Medical treatment was given to those in need.
The team in the Turkish city of Mersin is in contact with volunteers from the hospitality industry who have offered to provide food assistance to Filipino-Turkish families who chose to remain in Antakya — one of the worst affected cities — and to the Philippine Humanitarian Contingent in Adiyaman province.
The embassy added the Mersin-based team continues to provide the remainder of its relief goods to distressed Filipinos in the affected provinces, including those housed in temporary church shelters.
“To supplement its efforts, the Consul General has connected Filipino communities from across Türkiye and the surrounding regions with local Filipino community coordinators. The Embassy in Ankara is ready to mobilize and respond to emergencies affecting Filipinos in the region as the need arises,” it said.
The magnitude 7.8-earthquake has so far killed over 36,000 people in Türkiye and Syria, including two Filipinos, and flattened thousands of buildings. — Gaea Katreena Cabico