Ched Rick Gatchalian

A rescuer carries equipment as a team searches through the rubble of a destroyed building looking for survivors in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. Sai Aung Main, AFP

Article (news)

DSWD to give psychosocial, financial aid to families of Filipinos affected by Myanmar quake

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1744126279584Screenshot 2025-04-08 233110.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A rescuer carries equipment as a team searches through the rubble of a destroyed building looking for survivors in Mandalay on March 29, 2025, a day after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. <em>Sai Aung Main, AFP </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday night said it will give psychosocial and financial help to the families of migrant Filipinos who were affected by the 7.7 magnitude Myanmar quake.</p><p>In a release, the agency said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian bared instructions in an inter-agency meeting to help affected Filipino families.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/1/ph-sends-rescue-team-to-help-myanmar-search-for-quake-survivors-0817">PH sends rescue team to help Myanmar search for quake survivors</a></div><p>Director Maria Isabel Lanada of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) stressed they are already preparing to give the psychosocial aid.</p><p>“We have committed to augment psychological first aid providers. We in the DRMB are just preparing the list of personnel,” she said.</p><p>The Philippine government will prioritize helping the families and relatives of the 18 identified Filipinos who survived the Myanmar earthquake. The DSWD said this is in line with the agreement of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) - Office of the Undersecretary for Migration Affairs (OUMA) and other agencies.</p><p>Aside from checking the statuses of the affected families, the DSWD will be providing food packs and financial support under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/7/ocd-myanmar-stops-search-rescue-starts-retrieval-ops-for-quake-victims-2328">OCD: Myanmar stops search, rescue; begins retrieval ops for quake victims</a> </div><p>The DSWD said it will also bring a team of psychological first aid providers to Myanmar in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH).</p><p>The agency described their various assistance programs as a &quot;holistic approach&quot; to help the affected Filipinos.</p><p>“Through this, DSWD remains committed to ensuring that while responding to the crisis, we also support the well-being and recovery of those affected by the disaster,” Director Lanada said. </p><p>The earthquake in Myanmar happened March 28, with an epicenter close to Mandalay. More than 2,000 have lost lives while thousands were hurt, including those that were affected in neighboring Thailand.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/1/ph-sends-rescue-team-to-help-myanmar-search-for-quake-survivors-0817">Myanmar quake death toll rises to 2,056: junta</a></div><p>A Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PHIAC) team was sent April 1 to assist in search, rescue and retrieval operations along with other groups from various agencies. </p><p>The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Monday that Myanmar already stopped the search and will begin retrieval operations for the victims.</p><p>Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London (UCL), said it was &quot;probably the biggest earthquake on the Myanmar mainland in three-quarters of a century&quot;.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/3/29/scientists-explain-why-myanmar-quake-was-so-deadly-1650">Scientists explain why Myanmar quake was so deadly</a></div><p>Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London (ICL), suggested that the shaking was due to a side-to-side &quot;strike-slip&quot; of the Sagaing fault.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eSzTJ80O-ik?&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abs-cbn.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O9kGP1DpXN0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday night said it will give psychosocial and financial help to the families of migrant Filipinos who were affected by the 7.7 magnitude Myanmar quake.</p>

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday night said it will give psychosocial and financial help to the families of migrant Filipinos who were affected by the 7.7 magnitude Myanmar quake.