The Philippine government is still working to locate the four Filipinos who went missing nine days ago in the powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar and killed thousands of people.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Yangon, a team from the Disaster Victim Identification Division of the National Bureau of Investigation will arrive in Mandalay on Sunday to secure tissue samples collected from unidentified remains recovered from the disaster site of the Sky Villa condominium.
On the other hand, the same division will also collect samples from the family members of the missing family "in order to ascertain indubitable identity," the embassy said.
Four Filipinos are feared to have been trapped in the 12-story Sky Villa condominium when a 7.7-magnitude quake hit the country.
According to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office of Migration Affairs Director Catherine Alpay, bodies were recovered at the disaster site, and most of them were already in the state of decomposition.
Meanwhile, the embassy also provided transportation and temporary accommodation to the first batch of Filipinos who availed of its voluntary relocation program.
While under the custody of the embassy, the Filipinos will be offered welfare assistance, including financial and medical assistance.
"The Embassy will once again mount another batch of relocation of Filipinos on the morning of Sunday, 06 April 2025," it said.
Filipinos in need of any assistance are advised to complete the form accessible through https://tinyurl.com/YPEForm and submit the same to the embassy’s official email address: yangon.pe@dfa.gov.ph.
They also contact the following numbers or reach out to their designated Filipino coordinators to avail of the following:
- Counseling Services: +959985210998
- Accommodation and Transportation Services: +959940301188
"The Embassy stands firm in its unwavering commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our kababayan. We continue to exert all possible efforts to account for the four missing Filipinos and to provide support and necessary assistance to all affected members of the Filipino community during this challenging time," it said.