4 Pinoys unaccounted for after Myanmar quake – DFA

Partial ceasefire declared as death toll soars to 1,644

- BY ARGYLL CYRUS GEDUCOS and AARON RECUENCO

Four Filipinos in Myanmar remain unaccounted for following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the Southeast Asian country on Friday, March 28, an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

A unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military. The country's death toll from the disaster soared to 1,644.

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday, March 30, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said two of the four Filipinos were a husband and his wife residing in a building that collapsed during the quake.

All four unaccounted Filipinos are professionals, either working as teachers or office workers.

Meanwhile, De Vega said there were no Filipino casualties recorded in Thailand, where the strong earthquake was also felt.

The DFA official said Myanmar has been asking other countries for assistance.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Philippine Embassy in Yangon said it continues to conduct welfare checks on all affected Filipinos, and all Embassy communication lines remain open to provide them with assistance and support as it warned them of possible aftershocks.

"We also encourage continued communication with fellow Filipinos in your community to ensure each other's safety," it said.

The Embassy is also preparing to deploy a team in Mandalay for an on-the-ground assessment and direct welfare checks on Filipinos in the area.

"Arrangements are also being made to mobilize and distribute essential supplies and basic necessities to those in need, including possible evacuation routes for relocation or repatriation," it said.

For emergencies, the Embassy said it can be reached through the Assistance-to-National hotline [phone] or the official Philippine Embassy in Myanmar Facebook Messenger.