A Filipino was hurt and 129 other Filipinos were left homeless after a powerful quake struck a mountainous region in central Italy on Monday morning, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila said on Wednesday. But the injured Filipino, Jefferson Pugal, who sustained minor injuries, had already undergone treatment and had gone home, the DFA said, quoting a report by Emmanuel Fernandez, Chargé d'Affaires at the embassy. The DFA did not give details about Pugal and his injuries. The DFA said Fernandez has sent a consular team to the stricken area, particularly L'Aquilla, to check on the condition of the Filipinos living there. L'Aquilla, the capital of Abruzzo, is about two to three hours away from Rome. Fernandez reported to the DFA about 129 Filipinos were left homeless in LAquilla, but also did not give further details. It said there are 200,000 Filipino living in Italy permanently or on temporary employment. At least 207 people have been reported killed and 50,000 others left homeless in the tremor that measured 6.3 in magnitude on April 4. . The DFA said the consular team reported that the affected Filipinos are staying at the emergency center set up by the Italian Civil Protection Office and have been provided numbered tents as temporary shelter. The tents are of good quality and are well-heated, DFA said. The Filipino community in Rome is helping pool resources to deliver basic necessities to the affected Filipinos in L'Aquila, the consular team said. The Philippine embassy in Rome said some Filipinos who had earlier stayed at the emergecy center have alreadly left, some went back to a hotel in Cansatessa, where they had earlier stayed. The unnamed owner of the hotel is an employer of one Filipino and has offered to accommodate the group for one year, the DFA said. The consular team said the embassy is assisting the affected Filipino who want to go home in reconstructing their travel documents and will be liberal in accepting documentary requirements.
