The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has stated that the Philippine Embassy in Yangon is actively working to locate four Filipino individuals missing after the recent magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar. These individuals are feared to be trapped within the collapsed 12-story Sky Villa Condominium in Mandalay City, a severely damaged site.
DFA Office of Migration Affairs Director Catherine Alpay reported that recovery efforts at the Sky Villa have primarily yielded deceased individuals. The embassy team is prioritizing the identification of recovered bodies and coordinating with Mandalay Hospital and cremation services. Due to limited facilities, many bodies are being cremated after advanced decomposition. The embassy has requested local rescuers to collect tissue samples for potential identification.
Despite these efforts, the DFA maintains hope that the missing Filipinos may still be alive. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega noted that rescue operations are challenged by the limited resources and capabilities of Myanmar’s authorities, especially in areas controlled by various armed groups.
A Philippine humanitarian team, comprising doctors and urban search and rescue experts, has been deployed to Myanmar to assist in the response. The team has established a command center in Naypyidaw, as determined by the host country. The embassy team, however, will continue to monitor the situation closely in Mandalay.
There are 171 Filipinos in Mandalay, 764 legal Filipino workers in Yangon, and fewer than 25 in Naypyidaw. The DFA has confirmed the safety of 128 Filipinos in Mandalay, with 14 outside the country during the earthquake and 25 awaiting welfare checks. The embassy is facilitating the transfer of some Filipinos from Mandalay to a shelter in Yangon.
Additionally, Undersecretary De Vega disclosed that the repatriation of 50 to 60 Filipino trafficking victims, believed to be working in scam hubs, was disrupted by the earthquake. The DFA has not received any distress calls from these victims specifically related to the earthquake.