MANILA - Filipinos in New Zealand are safe after a Magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck near the Pacific country's remote Kermadec islands early Friday following two powerful quakes earlier, the Philippine ambassador there said.

In a message, Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Gary Domingo said no Filipinos were affected by the quake, but they had to evacuate Pinoys staying near the coast — from the Bay of Islands to Whangrei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay and Great Barrier Island.

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The evacuees were later on allowed to go back to their homes, he said.

In a Facebook post, he urged Filipino communities to register with the embassy there for faster communication.

There were only 14 Filipino communities registered with the embassy, he said.

New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) earlier issued a tsunami warning saying areas under threat were from the Bay of Islands to Whangarei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay including Whakatane and Opotiki, and the Great Barrier Island.

Phivolcs, meanwhile, said there were no tsunami threats in the Philippines after the strong New Zealand quake.

— With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

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