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PH Consul: Number of Pinoys affected by LA wildfires seen increasing
PH Consul: Number of Pinoys affected by LA wildfires seen increasing
Philippine Consul General to Los Angeles Adelio Angelito Cruz said on Tuesday, Jan. 14, that he expects the number of Filipinos affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles County to increase in the coming days.
HELIBUCKET OPERATION – Firefighters watch as water is dropped by a helicopter bucket on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles, California, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP)
In an interview on GMA’s “Unang Balita,” the official shared that the number is now 191 from the reported 150 on Monday.
“Sa ngayon ang huling tala namin ay umabot na ng 191 dahil may humingi na tulong na 12 pamilya at inaasahan namin na ito’y tataas pa sa darating na mga araw (For now, our latest tally reached 191 because 12 families asked for help and we’re expecting that this will increase in the coming days),” he said.
Los Angeles County, he noted, is under red flag warning because of the wildfires— Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire, and Woodley Fire.
Riverside County and Ventura County were also affected by Tyler Fire and Olivas Fire, respectively.
Cruz assured that Filipinos there are being well taken care of.
“Sa ngayon, karamihan sa ating mga kababayan ay nasa iba’t ibang evacuation centers all over LA County (For now, many of our countrymen are in different evacuation centers all over LA County),” he said.
“Lahat naman sila ay naaalagaan dahil bumubuhos ang pagdating ng pagkain at iba’t ibang mga essential requirements nila. So sila ay safe at alagang alaga (All of them are being well taken care of because food and other essential requirements are coming in droves. So, they are safe and well taken care of),” the Consul General added.
Earlier, the official said that while the Philippine government is ready to extend assistance to the Filipinos, they can only do so for those who retained their Filipino citizenship via dual citizenship.
While American citizens with Filipino descent can seek help, the aid the government can extend is limited, he explained.
According to Cruz, the death toll due to the wildfires has increased from 16 to 24, although the consulate has not received any confirmation if there were Filipinos among the fatalities.
“Sa ngayon, hindi pa makapagbigay ng pahayag ang mga LA County coroner's office sapagkat natupok ang mga bangkay at kakailanganin pa ng mga DNA tests. Aabutin daw ng mga ilang linggo bago makapag-release sila ng opisyal na listahan (For now, the LA County coroner’s office cannot give more information because the bodies were burned thoroughly and they need to do DNA tests. It will take weeks before they can release an official list),” he said.