Filipinos #PrayForSouthKorea

Screengrab from Twitter

MANILA, Philippines—With hundreds of passengers still missing after the tragic capsizing of a South Korean ferry, Filipino netizens called on more people to pray for the victims and the safety of survivors.

As of Thursday noon, the hashtag #PrayForSouthKorea was the top trending keyword in Philippine Twitterverse, with users expressing sympathies for their Asian neighbors and hoping for the best as rescue operations continue.

Many Filipinos pointed out that the least the country could do was to pray, especially after South Koreans extended assistance to the Philippines after the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) last November.

The Philippines and South Korea have close diplomatic ties, especially since many South Koreans are living in the country or visiting as students or tourists.

Korean pop music or Kpop also has a huge following in the Philipines.

The South Korean government sent assistance and volunteers for the rebuilding of Yolanda-hit areas last year. Many of their soldiers extended their stay to continue to help in the rehabilitation.

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