PNoy thankful destructive tsunami spared PHL

President Benigno Aquino III was thankful the Philippines did not suffer casualties from a tsunami generated by a magnitude-8.9 quake that hit Japan Friday afternoon.

Aquino, together with his delegation, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before midnight Friday from state visits to Indonesia and Singapore.

"Una sa lahat, nagpapasalamat po tayo sa Poong Maykapal at nakaligtas ang ating bansa sa pinsala ng tsunami mula sa lindol sa Japan (First of all, I thank God our country was spared any damage from the tsunami)," he said in his statement, the text of which was posted on the government portal early Saturday.

He was likewise thankful that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) canceled the tsunami alert, indicating the danger had passed.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had reported a total of 9,412 families or 55,335 people in the eastern seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon alone were preemptively evacuated Friday afternoon, as a precautionary measure against a potentially lethal tsunami.

"Muli po, nagpapasalamat tayo na naibaba na ang Alert Level sa mga komunidad sa ating mga baybayin (Again, I am thankful that the alert level in our coastal communities had been canceled)," he said.

He maintained that the preparations for the tsunami, coupled with the gains of his visit, showed the government is taking care of its people.

Aquino said that with his visits to the country's Southeast Asian neighbors, Filipinos can expect more investments – and job opportunities – to come soon.

"The government continues to take care of your welfare, from addressing your needs in calamities, to long-term economic benefits," he said in Filipino.


Evacuees going home

With the danger of a “hazardous" tsunami from Friday’s magnitude-8.9 quake in Japan having passed, several residents evacuated from threatened areas started returning to their homes Saturday.

NDRRMC head Benito Ramos said the residents started leaving their evacuation centers at daybreak Saturday, according to a report on radio dzBB.

The Philippine Coast Guard also lifted its ban on boats going out to sea early Saturday, but said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and remains on heightened alert.

At 11:30 p.m. Friday, the Phivolcs canceled its tsunami alert though it advised the public to stay vigilant.

In its 1 a.m. update, the NDRRMC did not indicate any untoward tsunami-related incident. (report from LBG, GMA News)