MANILA (3rd UPDATE) - The Philippines will send medical and rescue assistance to Turkey following a deadly earthquake, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said on Tuesday.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep before dawn on Monday, killing more than 4,800 people in Turkey and neighboring Syria.

Marcos said 85 Philippine personnel, including health workers and engineers from the Department of Defense and the Metro Manila Development Authority, are ready to fly to Turkey by Wednesday.

A total of 33 personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, led by Major Erwen Diploma of the Philippine Air Force, will be deployed.

The Department of Health will send 31 personnel, while the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will also deploy 12 of its personnel. Eight personnel of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority will also join the Philippine contingent.

The Philippines will also send much-needed humanitarian supplies, such as winter clothing to help quake survivors cope with freezing temperatures, he added.

"Ang hinahanap sa atin mga blanket, mga winter clothing dahil siyempre yung mga nasiraan ng bahay sa turkey ay wala na silang tirahan, they are exposed so they need all of these things,” Marcos told reporters during a chance interview at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay.

"There is also a danger kasi marami pang aftershock and they have to inspect the buildings. Mayroong pinapadala tayong mga engineer, meron tayong pinapadalang health workers and of course, the goods that we feel that they will need," he said.

(They need blankets, winter clothing because their houses were destroyed and they are exposed. There are also aftershocks and they have to inspect the buildings. We are sending engineers, health workers, and of course, the goods that we feel that they will need. )

• Marcos says Philippines ready to help Turkey, Syria following massive quake

DOH Officer-in-Charge Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire said the 31-man team is composed of health professional from two hospitals: Dr. Jose Natalio Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center and Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital.

Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena Algabre earlier in the day said embassy officials were reaching out to members of the Filipino community in Turkey.

Algabre said some airports were not working while roads remained impassable.

"Our phones are open 24/7, Facebook, email, we can be contacted... Filipinos are safe, there have been no casualty yet," she told ANC.

• Filipino quake victims in Turkey seek help

Turkey's relief agency AFAD put the latest death toll at 3,381 in that country alone -- bringing the confirmed tally in both Turkey and Syria to 4,890.

There are fears that the toll will rise inexorably, with World Health Organization officials estimating up to 20,000 may have died.

Overwhelmed medics struggled to treat the estimated 20,000 injured.

The US Geological Survey said Monday's first earthquake struck at 4:17 a.m. at a depth of about 18 kilometers.

The initial earthquake was so powerful it was felt as far away as Greenland and was followed by a series of aftershocks, including a 7.5-magnitude tremor that struck in the middle of search and rescue work on Monday.

The impact was devastating and sparked a global response, with dozens of nations from Ukraine to New Zealand vowing to send help.

• Why is Turkey an earthquake hot spot?

— With reports from Agence France-Presse and Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

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