CHINA is set to donate $50,000 humanitarian assistance to the victims of the magnitude-6.7 earthquake in Surigao City last Friday night, killing eight Filipinos and injured hundreds of individuals.
In a daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang also extended the condolence message of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to his counterpart Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.
“Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a message of condolences to Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay Jr. of the Philippines over the heavy casualties and property losses caused by the earthquake striking the Philippines,” Geng said.
The assistance, he said, is from the Red Cross Society of China.
“Wang Yi expressed that China stands ready to actively provide assistance to the Philippines,” he said.
Geng made the assurance after Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo asked for cash donations from International communities to buy water for residents of Surigao City and four neighboring municipalities where water supply had been shut down.
Taguiwalo said the repairs to the water system might take a while and that her department must prepare for contingency plan to make sure the people in Surigao would have a clean water to drink.
Geng said his government believed that under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, the people in the disaster area “could certainly overcome difficulties and restore normal production and life at an early date.”
On Sunday, Duterte visited Surigao City and vowed his administration would provide financial help for the victims.
On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella clarified the P2 billion aid Duterte mentioned during his visit was for the victims of earthquake.
Abella clarified Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar’s claim the P2 billion was for the mining workers.
