29 March 2005 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo instructed Philippine Ambassador to Jakarta, Indonesia Shulan O. Primavera to immediately assist any Filipino who may be affected by the powerful earthquake that struck off the west coast of Indonesia late Monday.   Secretary Romulo issued this instruction as he received a report by Ambassador Primavera that the Embassy has not received as of 2:00 p.m., 29 March 2005 (Manila time) any report of a Filipino that was affected by the tremor.

“While we hope and pray that Filipinos in Indonesia may be spared from this natural calamity, the Embassy must nevertheless be ready to immediately come to the assistance of Filipinos who may be affected,” Secretary Romulo said as he further gave instructions to Ambassador Primavera to “immediately inform the Department of any assistance that the Philippine may offer to our Indonesian brothers to assist them meet the challenges of this second natural calamity within five months.”

Ambassador Primavera informed Secretary Romulo that he conveyed today the Philippine offer to Ambassador Herijanto Soeprapto, Director-General for Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, Indonesian Foreign Ministry. The Philippine Ambassador said Director-General Soeprapto “was very pleased with the offer that further strengthens the spirit of friendship and solidarity of ASEAN and thanked the Philippine Government for its concern to its Asian neighbor.”

Ambassador Primavera said the Embassy staff has been calling the officers and members of Filipino associations in Indonesia as well as local authorities for any information of a Filipino who may have perished or been injured by the tremor.  Embassy records show that there are about 4,000 Filipinos and eight Filipino associations all over Indonesia.  Most of the Filipinos reside in the capital, Jakarta.

In his report to the Department, Ambassador Primavera said, “The earthquake destroyed communication and other infrastructures in the islands near the epicenter.  In the face of this difficulty, Embassy officers and staff are calling Filipinos through this network of associations for advice on the status of any Filipino in the earthquake affected areas.   We are also coordinating with Indonesian rescue authorities for any information regarding Filipinos in the earthquake-affected area.  So far, the Embassy has no report of any Filipino affected by this earthquake.   Nevertheless, we  continue to monitor the situation and will submit updated reports as soon as possible.”

According to information forwarded by the Embassy, the quake struck yesterday, 28 March 2005 4:09 PM GMT with its center located near the coast of northern Sumatra in Western Indonesia, 200 kilometers west northwest of Sibolga and about 30 kilometers deep.  The epicenter of the tremor was located along the same fault line of the 26 December 2004 quake that caused a massive tsunami, killing 300,000 people in Indonesia alone.  There was, however, no reported tsunami caused by yesterday’s quake, which according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center measured 8.5 in magnitude.

In Nias Island, one of the islands affected by the earthquake, at least 300 people were reported killed and hundreds more reported injured or trapped.

Reports said that yesterday’s quake was felt in other parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and even in Bangkok, Thailand.  The tremor caused widespread panic in various areas, including Banda Aceh in Indonesia with residents and even hospital personnel fleeing to the hills and higher ground.  END
 

/jay