Filipinos in Türkiye who were affected by the deadly magnitude 7.8 quake are seeking help.
Caroline Cengiz, one of the Filipinos staying in Türkiye, said they are awaiting help from the Philippine and Türkiye governments following the quake.
“Nag-aantay po kami ng tulong...wala pa po kasi. Sabi nila after one week pa daw po (We are waiting for help...we were told it would come after one week),” she said in an interview with ABS CBN News.
Adem ALTAN / AFP
Cengiz said she and her husband are only currently staying in their car after their apartment was damaged by the powerful quake.
“Nasa loob po kami ng sasakyan, yung iba po, nag-stay na sa open area. Gumawa sila ng tent na maliit. Eh winter pa naman ngayon, sobrang lamig (We are inside our car. Others have stayed in an open area where they have pitched their tents. It's winter and it's so cold now)," she said.
“Kailangan po namin ng tulong niyo kasi may mga Pilipino po tayo na affected. Lalo na yung isang kaibigan ko na isang Pinay dito sa amin na galing lang siya ng sakit, eh kailangan niya ng blanket, patubig (We need your help because there are Filipinos who are affected. One of my friends who is a Filipina, has just recovered from a sickness. She needs a blanket and water supply),” she added.
A 7.8 magnitude quake jolted central Türkiye and northwest Syria early Monday, killing over 4,000 people and injuring thousands.
Cengiz said she and her husband were inside their apartment when the quake struck.
“Nakahiga po kami pero nung mag-start na pong mag-earthquake... ni-ready naming yung katawan namin na lumabas na ng pintuan. So, natigil kami sa labas ng pintuan, bumagsak po kami, doon na po, as in tuloy-tuloy na yung paglindol na, dalawa kami ng asawa ko na natumba kami eh (We were lying down but when the earthquake started... we prepared our bodies to go out the door. So we stopped outside the door, and we fell down, the earthquake then continued, my husband and I fell down),” she recalled.
“At saka nag-start na akong nagsisigaw. Ayun, takbo lang ako pababa ng apartment. Then, ayun nakita namin, as in 'yung first floor bagsak na (Then I started screaming. I just ran down the apartment and that's when we saw that the first floor already collapsed),” Cengiz said.
Cengiz appealed to the Philippine government to send them help, including pillows and blankets, water, food, and emergency lights, as soon as possible.
The Philippine Embassy in Türkiye on Monday said it has not received any reports of Filipino casualties in the affected areas of the quake such as Gaziantep, Hatay, Adana, and Mersin.
"The Embassy will continue to monitor the situation of the Filipinos affected by the earthquake and will stand ready to provide assistance," the embassy said.
The embassy said Filipinos affected by the quake may reach out to the PH embassy at +905345772344 and via email at [email protected].
In an interview with dzBB, Philippine Ambassador to Türkiye Maria Elena P. Algabre said she has not received any report on a Filipino casualty from the earthquake. "They are safe in general but they need help," she added.