Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 9) — A group of Filipino migrant workers based in Turkey—now called Türkiye—has started collecting donations for those affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that rocked the country on Monday.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Source on Thursday, AKO-OFW Türkiye Vice Chairperson of Affairs Lelanie Jison said earthquake victims urgently need food and hygiene kits as well as beddings, jackets, and comforters to keep warm in the cold weather.
Latest reports said over 15,000 people were killed in the devastating earthquake that also affected Syria.
Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Akyol told CNN Philippines on Wednesday that around 13.5 million people in Türkiye’s 10 provinces were affected by the powerful earthquake.
Jison said the quake happened around 4 a.m. Monday while they were asleep in their house in Ankara. They only woke up to the call of her brother-in-law, warning them about what is happening.
“We suddenly woke up and checked the news and ‘yun na nga po, nag-umpisa na lahat-lahat. Nagkaroon na ng mga building na nag-collapse, nag-panic na rin kami dito,” she said.
[Translation: We suddenly woke up and checked the news and then everything started. Buildings were collapsing, we also panicked here.]
The following day, members of AKO-OFW started gathering goods for people in affected areas.
Jison said some OFWs in Hatay were not yet contacted. There are also some, like a certain Jules, who need to be rescued after being trapped in the basement of the house of their employer.
