The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Wednesday that the remains of one of the four Filipinos previously reported missing in Mandalay, the epicenter of the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, have been positively identified.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega confirmed the casualty as Francis Aragon, a 38-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) employed as a Physical Education teacher in Myanmar, according to a report from GMA News.
“The family of the deceased Filipino has been so informed. Out of respect for their privacy in this time of grief, we are withholding further information on the matter,” the DFA said.
On Facebook, Aragon’s older brother Alvin said their family is processing this heartbreaking news.
The DFA assured the public that it remains committed to locating and identifying three other Filipinos who remain missing.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it will be providing psychosocial and financial support for the families of migrant Filipinos who were affected by the quake.
In line with the directive of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the agency has committed to provide the assistance during a meeting with various national government agencies on Monday (April 7).
Director Maria Isabel Lanada of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB), who attended the inter-agency meeting, said the Department will deploy psychological first aid (PFA) providers to help alleviate the emotional and mental distress experienced by the families of identified Filipinos who were affected by the Myanmar tremor.
The government aid would initially prioritize the families and relatives of the 18 identified Filipinos who survived the earthquake.
This aid, according to Lanada, is critical since the most affected were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Myanmar whose source of income was disrupted due to the disaster.
The DSWD will also send a team of PFA providers to Myanmar, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), to further support those directly affected by the earthquake.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) meanwhile said it is is set to
launch an infrastructure audit tool which will assess the structural integrity of buildings in preparation for the possibility of a large-magnitude earthquake or the “Big One” in the metropolis and nearby areas.
DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Marlo Iringan said the Harmonized Infrastructure Audit tool will be utilized to ensure the resilience of buildings in the country against earthquakes.
He said the tool, which will help LGUs identify the priority structures subject to infra audits, will be pilot-tested in the National Capital Region, Region III, and CALABARZON.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “DFA confirms Filipino casualty from Myanmar quake.”