MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese government has donated about P22 million (3 million RMB) to the Philippines to aid victims and support disaster relief efforts in quake-stricken Mindanao.
In a statement on Friday, the Chinese embassy expressed its “deepest sympathy” to families who were affected by the series of strong earthquakes that struck Mindanao and left several people dead and injured.
“The Chinese government expresses its deepest sympathy to those affected families and decided to donate 3 million RMB (approximately 22 million pesos) through the Embassy in the Philippines to aid the victims and support the disaster relief efforts by the Philippine government in Mindanao and help local residents return to normal life,” the statement read.
READ: Magnitude 6.3 quake shakes parts of Mindanao
At least 16 people were killed from two major earthquakes this week in Cotabato and other parts of Mindanao. In early October, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Cotabato, which killed 6 people.
Around 19,000 people were displaced from their homes due to the tremors this week.
Small to moderate-sized earthquakes are expected to continue for several days to weeks.
China said it was confident that “under the strong leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte and the government of the Philippines, the Philippine people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homeland as soon as possible.”
Duterte has pursued warmer ties with Beijing when he became President in 2016 in exchange for potential economic investments.
The Philippines and China have been rivals for years mainly due to competing claims over the South China Sea./ac
READ: Quake-weary Mindanao rocked anew; 5 killed