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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
March 31, 2025 | 5:30pm
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is preparing at least $100,000 (roughly P5.7 million) in financial assistance for Filipinos affected by the deadly earthquake in Myanmar, focusing on the roughly 150 Filipinos in Mandalay near the quake's epicenter.
A massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, devastating Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, the capital Naypyitaw, and parts of Sagaing Region and southern Shan State.
The death toll has climbed to 1,700, with over 3,400 injured and more than 300 missing as of Sunday, according to Myanmar's military junta. Independent sources cited in a Myanmar Now report suggest casualties may be much higher, potentially reaching 10,000 deaths.
"The (Philippine) embassy is requesting the financial assistance authorization ... (for) over $100,000 that will cover the expenses or the needs of our countrymen," Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said during a press conference on Monday, March 31.
"There are Filipinos asking for assistance. Not because they're injured but maybe they need to move to another place or they lost their job," De Vega added.
Four Filipinos remain missing in the aftermath of the quake. De Vega told reporters that these individuals may have been trapped under a collapsed condominium building in Mandalay.
"God's mercy, the number of missing Filipinos has not yet gone up. We hope for the best," De Vega said in mixed English and Filipino.
The DFA undersecretary said the Philippine government doesn't have a set limit on financial assistance for affected Filipinos. But it typically provides around $1,000 per person and covers shelter expenses if needed.
"We don't have a cap. But usually, we will give 1,000 dollars for assistance and we are paying for shelter if needed. Like what we did in Turkey," De Vega said, adding that plane tickets would also be covered if necessary.
The Philippines similarly provided financial aid for Filipinos affected by the 2023 earthquake in Turkey. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/02/07/2243166/no-pinoy-fatalities-philippines-ready-help
Rescue teams on their way as junta calls for aid
The Philippines is also sending a humanitarian contingent to assist in rescue efforts in Myanmar this week.
With its death toll continuing to climb, the Myanmar junta has issued a rare call for international aid, breaking with the military's typical rejection of foreign assistance during disasters.
"We will send a humanitarian contingent, doctors, experts on earthquakes, recovery of survivors, the same team that went to Turkey," De Vega said. "They should be there the next day or two."
The deployed Filipino team will need to take an indirect route to reach the affected areas, De Vega said.
"They're ready to be deployed today or tomorrow. The thing is, I think they will have to fly to Thailand first before they go to Myanmar," he said.
The humanitarian mission would assist all earthquake victims, not just Filipinos, De Vega said.
"When they go there, it's not deliberate only to look for Filipinos. This is for anybody because that's the nature of rescue," he said.
De Vega said Myanmar has acknowledged its limited capacity to handle the disaster. "Myanmar admits that they don't have the means to recover people from the buildings. And there's a lot of damage."
Damaged roads, communication outages and closed airports have hampered the delivery of aid to affected areas in Myanmar, according to reports.
Myanmar has been in conflict since the junta overthrew its democratically elected government in 2021. Parts of the country are under the control of rebel groups, particularly in border regions, where they have established their own administrations and resist the junta's authority.
Scale of devastation
De Vega expressed sympathy for the people of Myanmar, noting that the earthquake had also claimed the life of a foreign service officer from the Myanmar Foreign Ministry who was crushed by a collapsed wall in his office.
The official said all 151 Filipinos in Mandalay are considered affected by the earthquake, as it was the area closest to the epicenter.
"I would say all of them are affected because that's the worst-damaged place," De Vega said.
Most Filipinos in Myanmar work as professionals, according to the DFA official. The four missing Filipinos are teachers.
"Most of the Filipinos we know there (in Myanmar) - 700 plus - are working professional fields. Some are teachers, some are in office work. Some are travel agents. Matataas ang tungkulin (They have high-ranking jobs)," he said.
While no Filipinos have requested repatriation so far, De Vega said the government is prepared to handle evacuations if needed.
De Vega urged Filipinos who have lost contact with relatives in Myanmar or Thailand to reach out to the concerned embassy.
Filipinos in need of assistance to contact the Philippine embassies in Myanmar and Thailand can reach the following numbers:
- Philippine Embassy in Thailand hotline: +66 81 989 7116
- Philippine Embassy in Yangon hotline: +95 998 521 0991
The DFA official also said Filipinos can send a message to the Overseas Filipino Help Facebook page — the DFA's official emergency help page for overseas Filipinos in distress.
