DFA: No Filipino casualties in storm-hit Texas

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday that there were no Filipino casualties in storm-hit Texas as it expressed sympathies over the reported deaths in the United States.

Quoting initial reports from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, the DFA said none among the 80,000-strong Filipino Community in Houston and surrounding areas has been reported to be among the dead or injured.

"Our hearts go out to the people of Houston, including the thousands of our kababayan, who have to go through this terrible ordeal," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

"We offer our deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in this disaster. We will continue to pray for Houston and its people," he said.

The DFA said Storm Harvey, which triggered massive flooding in Houston and surrounding areas, left at least five persons dead and more than a dozen injured.

Cayetano said the Consulate General in Los Angeles and the Honorary Consulate in Houston continue to monitor the effects of the storm, such as flooding, damage to property and power disruptions, which are expected to affect members of the Filipino Community.

The DFA said there are approximately 70,000 members of the Filipino community in Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States; 5,000 in Rio Grande Valley; and another 5,000 in San Antonio. (SDR/ SunStar Philippines)