Press Release
March 21, 2011

Senate resolution expresses sympathy for Japan disaster victims

Senator Franklin Drilon personally delivered a resolution to Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura and signed the Book of Condolences this afternoon expressing profound sympathy to the people of Japan in the wake of the recent earthquake and tsunami that struck the country.

Earlier, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Loren Legarda had also signed the Book of Condolences at the Japanese embassy.

The resolution, which was adopted last March 14, expressed the Philippines' "profound sympathy and sincerest concern and compassion for the people of Japan and its government." Senate Resolution 37 also expressed the Filipinos admiration for the Japanese people who, although faced with the most severe crisis, possess incredible resilience and courage to overcome destruction and loss.

The resolution was sponsored Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto III and Senators Drilon, Lito Lapid, Gringo Honasan, Legarda and Juan Miguel Zubiri. "The Philippines continues to remember, with appreciation, the Government and the people of Japan for all the emergency and humanitarian assistance it had extended to our people during our own times of crises brought about by natural disasters," the resolution said.

Japan remains to be a major source of official development funds, trade, investment and tourism to the country, the measure added. According to reports, Japan remains a top source of assistance for the Philippines, accounting for 36 percent or $3.46 billion of the total loan commitments.

A powerful 9 magnitude earthquake hit the east coast of Miyagi Prefecture's, and devastated the city of Sendai in Honshu on March 11.

Experts said the powerful quake, one of the five largest earthquakes in the world since modern record-keeping began, triggered massive tsunami waves of up to 10 meters high and washed away 1,800 homes.

Reports estimated total losses at $100 billion, including $20 billion in damage to residences and $40 billion in damage to infrastructure such as roads, rails, port facilities and at least three nuclear plants which prompted massive evacuation of the residents of the affected areas and the declaration of a state of emergency.

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