Manila: Taiwan is prepared to extend necessary aid to the Philippines after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the country on Monday, resulting in significant casualties and damage. President Lai Ching-te expressed Taiwan's readiness to assist through Taiwan's representative office in the Philippines.According to Focus Taiwan, President Lai conveyed his support on his X page, which was subsequently shared by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines via Facebook. "Our thoughts are with the people of the Philippines following today's devastating earthquake," Lai stated, emphasizing Taiwan's willingness to provide needed assistance and expressing hopes for a swift recovery and rebuilding process.The earthquake, which struck in Mindanao, southern Philippines, had its epicenter off the coast of Sarangani's Maasim at a depth of 33 kilometers. It resulted in at least 36 fatalities, injured 167 people, and left four individuals missing, as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Mana gement Centre (NDRRMC).In addition to President Lai's comments, the Taiwan office shared a message from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), offering condolences to the affected individuals and communities. MOFA expressed its wish for a speedy recovery for the Philippines.The Taiwan office is actively coordinating with Philippine government agencies to organize donations of relief supplies for those affected by the earthquake. As of Tuesday morning, the NDRRMC reported approximately 840 aftershocks, with 19 of them being felt, the largest reaching a magnitude of 6.7.The earthquake has affected 19,529 households, comprising about 88,000 residents. Over 19,600 individuals have been relocated to shelters as the region grapples with the aftermath. Following the earthquake, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami warning. Tsunami waves of 1.48 meters were recorded in Kiamba township before the warning was lifted later in the day.The earthquake caused landslides and s ignificant infrastructure damage, with financial losses estimated at 15 million Philippine pesos (US$243,736), based on available statistics.