Several Filipinos are missing and their situation still undetermined after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Türkiye leveled residential buildings across 10 provinces and left thousands of people dead.
Based on information relayed by Filipino community leaders there in separate interviews with ABS-CBN, there are three to five Filipinos in Hatay province whose condition are still unknown.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has yet to verify the figures coming in, but the Philippine Embassy in Türkiye already reported it has been receiving calls from distressed Filipinos.
Weng Timoteo, vice president of a Filipino community in Türkiye, said in the interview that three Filipino women and their children are still missing.
Meanwhile, Maricel Miguel, president of another Filipino community, said two Filipino women and their three children have not yet been rescued from their building 48 hours since the quake struck Türkiye in the early hours of Monday.
"Di pa po namin alam kung buhay pa po sila... kahapon after 30 hours na nasa loob sila ng building yung pinakamalaking anak po ng Pilipina, narinig po namin yung boses nya. Pero noong bumalik po kami bago mag dilim, hindi na po namin naririnig yung boses ng tao ng building (We don't know if they're still alive. Yesterday, 30 hours after they were trapped, I was still hearing her eldest son. But when we returned at night, we could no longer hear voices)," Miguel said in between sobs.
There are about 248 Filipinos in the provinces affected by the earthquake, the DFA said.
Rescuers are struggling to conduct operations due to the damaged roads and the freezing weather.
"Ang problem kasi winter time dito. 'Yung naka add din sa misery ng mga naapektuhan ng lindol kasi di rin sila basta ma-reach given the fact na hindi nga madaanan yung mga daan tapos napakalamig pa, sumabay pa yung yelo (The problem is it's winter here. So it adds to misery of the victims. They cannot be reached due to damaged roads and snow)," Timoteo said.
As of Wednesday, the DFA has not yet reported any "casualties," although its spokesperson, Ma. Teresita Daza, confirmed there were two Filipino who got injured. They are now safe, Daza added.
The Turkish government announced that the death toll rose to 5,894 on Wednesday. In neighboring Syria, at least 2,032 were already reported dead.
Displaced individuals are trying to find refuge inside their cars or in makeshift tents. These included a Filipino woman, Caroline Celiz, who is staying inside their car with her husband.
She appealed for help from Philippine and Turkish authorities, but was told that help might come in a week.
Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Akyol said in an interview with CNN Philippines that the government already announced a state of emergency to address challenges amid the "extraordinary times" and "to move the state machinery more effectively."
Around 13.5 million people were affected by the quake that was mostly felt in 10 provinces, he said. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from their homes.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Akyol thanked President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for his decision to send an 85-man rescue team to Türkiye to help in the search and rescue and relief operations.
He said the Philippine assistance is an "act of solidarity" that will "surely strengthen the already solid bonds of friendship and cooperation between our countries."
"We are deeply moved by this generous gesture," Akyol said, adding he has not yet gotten in touch with Marcos Jr.