Manila, Oct. 10 -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday said it is ready to assist affected tourism stakeholders as it evaluates the extent of damage to the sector following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck off Davao Oriental.

"The Secretary (Christina Frasco) has promptly instructed our Regional Offices to identify any affected tourist destinations and, more importantly, to assess whether there are tourism workers in need of assistance so we can respond quickly," said DOT Assistant Secretary Ina Zara-Loyola in a message to reporters.

The strong quake, recorded at 9:43 a.m., prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to issue a tsunami warning for coastal areas, cautioning residents of Easter...