PH offers prayers for Japan earthquake devastation

By Genalyn Kabiling

The Philippine government has offered prayers to the people of Japan following the devastating earthquake that hit the northern island of Hokkaido.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (CAMILLE ANTE / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Our prayers to the people of Japan who were affected by a powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck their northern region this morning,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

Roque said the government was also taking steps to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the earthquake-hit island.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to monitor the situation and stays in touch with the leaders of the Filipino community in Hokkaido to check the condition of our kababayans there and ensure that everyone is safe and accounted for,” he said.

A powerful earthquake rocked northern Japan early Thursday, triggering landslides that destroyed many houses and other buildings in Hokkaido. The tremor reportedly left two persons dead and more than a hundred injured.

The natural disaster occurred just as Japan was reeling from the effects of typhoon Jebi, reportedly the strongest storm to hit the mainland in more than two decades.

Read more: No Filipinos hurt in typhoon Jebi in Japan