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Rescue teams work to save residents trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development building in Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
AFP / Sai Aung
MANILA, Philippines — The four Filipinos who died due to the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar have been identified, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed on Friday, May 2.
Romel Papa, assistant director at the NBI Forensic and Scientific Research Service, said the victims were identified using DNA samples from their relatives.
This followed the NBI’s disaster victim identification unit traveling to Myanmar on April 4 to collect samples from the four Filipinos, with assistance from Philippine Embassy officials.
Among the samples turned over to the NBI were hair and two teeth from each of the first two Filipino victims recovered. For the other two casualties, identification relied on “secondary parameters” such as tattoos, personal belongings, documents and dental records provided by their families and friends.
“At the same time, our team at the National Capital Region collected reference samples from the relatives’ victims and in two weeks, we processed it through DNA analysis and we yielded positive results,” Papa said in an interview with reporters.
“So all four victims were identified through the reference samples taken from their relatives,” he added.
The four Filipinos were among those affected when the Sky Villa Condominium in Mandalay collapsed, trapping residents under the rubble. Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, was one of the most severely impacted areas.
The identity of the first victim, Francis Aragon, was confirmed on April 9, while the second victim, whose name was not disclosed, was identified on April 10, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“The assistance provided by the NBI forensic team was greatly acknowledge[d] not only by the Myanmar government but also by the whole international community,” the NBI said in a statement on Wednesday, April 30.
The deadly March 28 earthquake in Myanmar left around 3,800 dead, 5,100 injured and 116 missing, while displacing some 207,000 people within the country, according to the ASEAN disaster center’s latest report on April 22.
The Philippine Embassy in Yangon has been providing distressed overseas Filipinos in Myanmar with temporary relocation assistance, emotional support sessions and financial assistance.
Filipinos in need of assistance may contact the Philippine embassies in Myanmar and Thailand through the following hotlines:
- Philippine Embassy in Thailand hotline: +66 81 989 7116
- Philippine Embassy in Yangon hotline: +95 998 521 0991
The DFA said Filipinos can also reach out through the Overseas Filipino Help Facebook page, which serves as the agency’s official social media platform for assisting overseas Filipinos in distress.
