The sun sets over Mandalay as heavy machinery tirelessly clears the rubble of collapsed buildings—silent witnesses to the devastating earthquake that shook central Myanmar on March 28. The magnitude 7.7 tremor left thousands dead and countless lives shattered.
Now, pain cuts closer to home. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confirmed the identities of four Filipino victims through DNA testing.
“‘Yung four na Filipino na namatay sa Myanmar Earthquake positively identified ng DNA natin,” said NBI Director Jaime Santiago, confirming the heartbreaking news.
Earlier, DNA was collected from decomposed bodies believed to be those of a missing Filipino couple and their relatives. Authorities had already confirmed the deaths of two other Filipinos in the disaster.
More than 3,000 lives were lost in the quake, but for the Filipino community, the grief is deeply personal and unmistakably real.