The Philippine government has allocated an emergency fund of USD100,000 to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28.
Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Monday the amount will be used for medical assistance, relocation or finding jobs.
“Humihingi ng financial assistance authorization iyong ating embahada na ibibigay natin over USD100,000 iyan sa gastos para sa mga kailangan ng ating mga kababayan (Our embassy in Yangon has requested an authorization for financial assistance worth over USD100,000 for the needs of our fellow Filipinos there),” De Vega said in an interview.
The funds may also be spent for repatriation although there is no request yet.
The Philippine embassy said Sunday night that of the 128 registered Filipinos in Myanmar, four are unaccounted for while the condition of three others is under verification.
De Vega urged relatives who have yet to reach their loved ones in Myanmar to get in touch with the DFA or the embassy at +95-998-521-0991.
Two of the four are husband and wife working as teachers. Their relatives in Bais City, Negros Oriental have already gotten in touch with authorities.
“We are hoping they will still be found. May apat na nawawala (Four are still missing) or unaccounted for. Maaaring meron pa, hindi lang namin alam (There could be more but we just don’t know yet),” he said.
Relatives may also call the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration hotline 1348 or reach out through the Facebook page “Overseas Filipino Help.”
De Vega invited the relatives of the four missing Filipinos to visit the DFA.
“Niyayaya namin kayo pumunta dito, pumunta sa amin para tingnan natin anong klaseng assistance maibibigay namin habang hindi pa nahahanap ‘yung mga mahal nyo sa buhay (We invite you to come here, come to us so we can see what kind of assistance we can provide while your loved ones are still missing),” he said.
De Vega said the Philippine Embassy in Yangon is actively coordinating with local authorities and community leaders to locate the missing individuals, who could be in a condominium that collapsed when the earthquake hit.
In addition to the OFW aid, the Philippine government will deploy a humanitarian team to Myanmar on Tuesday, composed of doctors and earthquake recovery specialists.
“This is the same team that was sent to Turkiye after the massive earthquake there,” De Vega said, referring to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in February 2023.
“Their mission is not just to find missing Filipinos but to help in Myanmar’s overall rescue efforts.”
Local reports said at least 1,700 people have died; 3,400 were injured; and nearly 300 are missing.
In Thailand, the DFA said there are no reports of missing or injured Filipinos. (PNA)