President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended his condolences to Colombia after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the nation, claiming at least 132 lives.
In an official statement released on social media, the President expressed the Philippines’ solidarity with the South American nation as it navigates the devastating aftermath of the tremor.
“The Philippines conveys our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Colombia for the lives lost and the devastation caused by the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake,” Marcos stated.
Drawing a parallel to the Philippines’ own location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Marcos emphasized that Filipinos deeply sympathize with the hardship and disruption caused by severe seismic events.
“As a nation along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Filipinos deeply understand the pain and challenges brought by earthquakes. We stand in solidarity with Colombia as they rise through this ordeal, rebuild livelihoods and communities, and recover completely. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” he added.
The Colombian government declared a state of emergency following the earthquake, which registered as one of the country’s most severe seismic events in recent history.
Striking at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, the quake’s epicenter was located near San José del Palmar in western Colombia, roughly 280 kilometers west of the capital city, Bogotá.
The disaster triggered widespread infrastructure damage across several regions, prompting swift disaster response and recovery operations by local and national emergency authorities.