Croatia, Taiwan pledge aid for victims of PH quakes

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(L-R) Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines has received fresh humanitarian support from Croatia and Taiwan to help communities affected by a series of powerful earthquakes that struck the Visayas and Mindanao in recent weeks.

Visiting Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman on Monday, Oct. 13, announced his government’s decision to donate 100,000 euros (approximately ₱6.76 million) to assist the Philippine government’s relief and recovery operations. The pledge was made following his bilateral meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro in Manila.

Radman, the first Croatian foreign minister to visit the Philippines, expressed sympathy for the victims and solidarity with the Filipino people.

“To begin with, I wish to convey my sincerest sympathies for the recent earthquakes that resulted in the loss of human lives,” he said during a joint press conference. “I’m glad to inform you that the government of Croatia has decided to make a 100,000-euro contribution to the Philippines.”

Earlier this week, the Republic of China (Taiwan) also extended USD 200,000 (about ₱11 million) in humanitarian aid to support victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on Sept. 30.

Representative Wallace Minn-Gan Chow of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO) turned over the donation to the Cebu Provincial Government through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in a ceremony held on Oct. 14.

TECO said the donation reflects Taiwan’s solidarity and friendship with the Filipino people, as well as its commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) cooperation in the region.

“We sincerely hope for the earliest possible return to normalcy for those afflicted by the disaster and for the speedy recovery and restoration of the affected regions,” Chow said during the turnover.

The Philippines has been struck by multiple earthquakes over the past two weeks, with Cebu and Davao provinces among the hardest hit.

In Davao Oriental, twin quakes measuring magnitude 7.4 and 6.9 jolted the region on Oct. 10, followed by a magnitude 4.8 aftershock on Oct. 12. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that the series of earthquakes has affected more than 490,000 people and killed at least eight.