DFA Monitoring Welfare Of Filipinos After Third Earthquake Rocks Lombok

09 August 2018 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is closely monitoring developments in Lombok after the Indonesian island was again struck by an earthquake on Thursday—the third powerful temblor to hit the area in two weeks.

The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta is checking the situation of the 250-strong Filipino Community in Lombok and surrounding areas, including Bali, and has initially reported there were no Filipino casualties.

“We stand by our Indonesian brothers in the face of this tragedy,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement.

“Once again, we send our prayers to all those who have been affected and express the hope that they can quickly recover and rebuild their lives,” Secretary Cayetano added.

The latest earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.2, struck Lombok midday on Thursday as the island was still reeling from Sunday’s magnitude 7.0 tremor that left as many as 347 people dead. The temblor caused significant damage to structures and led to the evacuation of tourists and residents.

The Embassy, at the same time, expressed its gratitude to Indonesian authorities for evacuating seven Filipino officials from Lombok where they were attending a meeting.

Ambassador Leehiong Wee said the officials were being hosted for dinner at the rooftop of a local hotel when the temblor hit the area. He said all of them were safely evacuated to a military camp and were later flown back to Jakarta on board an Indonesian Air Force C-130 aircraft.

“We are grateful to the Indonesian Government for ensuring the safety of the members of the Philippine delegation,” Ambassador Wee said. END