As of 18 January, the Philippine Embassy in Wellington has received no reports of casualties or injuries in the Filipino community in Tonga and Samoa.
The Philippine Embassy in Wellington is continuing to exhaust efforts to contact Filipinos in Tonga primarily through the use of its emergency satellite phone. Indications show that it might take two (2) weeks before the communications system is fully restored in Tonga.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, will continue to closely monitor the situation in Tonga, to ensure the continued safety of our kababayans.
Moreover, the Association of Filipinos in Tonga Inc. reached out to the Philippine Embassy in Wellington via email informing the latter that every Filipino citizen in the Kingdom of Tonga has been accounted for and that there are currently no casualties. Internet and international calls are still currently unavailable.
As such, the Association of Filipinos in Tonga Inc. has requested the Philippine Embassy in Wellington to let their families know that our kababayans are safe.
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
