Phl Congress expresses sympathies to Taiwan quake victims

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has filed a resolution expressing the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the people of Taiwan following the earthquake that left more than 50 people dead in the country’s southern part last Feb. 6.

Belmonte said when Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated parts of the country in 2013, Taiwan, particularly the Tzu Chi Foundation, was “one of the first to respond and assist the Philippines in its time of greatest need, exemplifying the true spirit of generosity, volunteerism and brotherhood for which the Philippines would always be grateful.”

“To echo this spirit, the House of Representatives of the Philippines now sends its deepest sympathies to the people of Taiwan as they cope with this tragic loss of life, particularly as the earthquake struck as they were preparing to celebrate the lunar new year,” Belmonte said in the resolution.

He said the people of Tainan bravely and generously banded together to help the victims and their loved ones, with volunteers handing out food, clothing, and beverages to survivors, and relatives of the victims, and fellow volunteers.

The magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit southern Taiwan with the epicenter located in the Meinong District in Kaohsiung City.

The earthquake greatly affected the city of Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, with a population of 1.9 million people. A reported 59 people perished in the earthquake, with more than 500 people injured.

It left at least 1,400 people homeless, and disrupted the water supply of around 400,000 households in Taiwan. At least 168,000 households experienced power outages, with at least 121,000 of these located in Tainan alone.