Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Eduardo De Vega confirmed on Saturday that no Filipino casualties have been reported in Thailand following the powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, though four Filipinos remain unaccounted for in Myanmar.
While the earthquake’s epicenter was not in Thailand, Myanmar has suffered severe damage, including airport closures and around 700 reported casualties.
Among the 600 registered Filipinos in Myanmar, a married couple and two others remain missing.
“Wala tayong confirmed death hanggang ngayon. Pero cinocontact ng embassy ngayon, nag-momonitor… Ngayon ay may apat daw na unaccounted for pa (We have no confirmed deaths as of now. But the embassy is currently making contact and monitoring the situation… As of now, there are reportedly four people still unaccounted for),” De Vega said in a radio interview.
The Philippine embassy is actively monitoring the situation and working to establish contact with the missing individuals. De Vega also urged the public not to spread unverified information regarding their condition.
“Kung may nagsasabi sa social media na confirmed na nakita na sila, yung bangkay nila, eh wala pa tayong info na ganon, huwag nating ikalat ‘yon (If someone on social media is saying that their bodies have already been found and it's confirmed, we don't have that information yet. Let's not spread it),” he stressed.
As of now, no Filipinos in Thailand or Myanmar have requested shelter or repatriation in the aftermath of the quake.