Filipinos are safe in Japan after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the coastal prefecture of Ishikawa, where at least eight people were reported killed.
Philippine Ambassador to Tokyo Mylene Garcia-Albano said Tuesday, Jan. 2, that the embassy has not received any report about the 1,300 Filipinos in Ishikawa who are harmed by the quake.
But there were "few" Filipinos who were evacuated due to an alert issued by the government, Albano added.
The epicenter of the quake was in Ishikawa, located west of Japan. Albano said the tremor was only slightly felt in Tokyo.
"Kaninang 9:15 ng umaga, nag-press conference po si Prime Minister Kishida, and he reported na na-lift na raw ang tsunami warnings (At 9:15 this morning, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a briefing and reported that tsunami warnings were already lifted)," she said.
"Ni-report pa rin po ni Prime Minister na he had deployed personnel from the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and sa mga police stations po nila, fire stations, to augment 'yung emergency assistance and personnel na nandoon na po sa affected region (He also reported that he deployed personnel from the Japan Self-Defense Forces as well as from police and fire stations to augment the emergency assistance and personnel in the affected region)," she added.
Efforts are still ongoing to assess the extent of the damage of the earthquake that destroyed several houses and facilities in the area.
Albano assured Filipinos in Japan that the embassy is ready to extend assistance for anyone who needs help.
Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko said he is aware many Filipinos are concerned about the earthquake.
"My heartfelt prayers for the safety and well-being of all affected, including our fellow Filipinos in Japan," he said.
"Let's stand together in support during these challenging times," he added.