PH gov’t offers assistance to Nepal after massive quake

Residents rescue items from debris of a house that was damaged in Saturday’s earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, April 27, 2015. AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday expressed sympathy for Nepal after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and its strong aftershocks killed more than 2,500 people last April 25.

“Time and again, the world has come together to render assistance in times of dire need: Filipinos from all walks of life have likewise expressed sympathy and offered prayers for the Nepalese people,” Aquino said, adding that many nations have already pledged assistance for rescue and recovery efforts.

“The Philippine government will be communicating with our counterparts in Nepal, to offer assistance. We are prepared to, and consequently taking steps to, render aid to the maximum of our limitations,” he added.

Aquino is currently in Malaysia for the 26^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.

His remarks, given during the plenary session of the Asean Summit, came a day after foreign ministers from the region issued a joint statement on the incident.

READ: Asean ministers condole with Nepal quake victims

While no Filipino has been reported killed, Aquino said a team from the Philippine embassy in New Delhi, India has already been dispatched to aid nationals who were affected by the earthquake.

Two Filipino mountaineers who were in Mt. Everest survived the quake and are now staying in a hotel in Kathmandu.