Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday pressed concerned agencies particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to act swiftly and exhaust all efforts to account, assist and secure affected Filipinos following the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand on March 28.
Go, one of the authors and a co-sponsor of Republic Act No. 11641 that created the DMW, emphasized that protecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in times of crisis must be treated as an urgent national concern.
“Kapag may sakuna sa ibang bansa, hindi puwedeng umasa lang tayo sa impormasyon mula doon. Dapat tayo mismo ang kumikilos, tumatawag, at sumusundo kung kinakailangan. Buhay ng kababayan natin ang nakataya,” said Go, as he called on Philippine authorities to intensify coordination and response efforts.
According to DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega, four Filipinos in Myanmar have yet to be located. Two of them, a married couple, reportedly lived in a residential building in Mandalay that collapsed during the quake. All four are said to be professionals—teachers or office workers.
The earthquake, which has already claimed more than 1,600 lives in Myanmar, has triggered an international humanitarian response.
The Philippine government has begun preparing relief and medical assistance, with the Office of Civil Defense convening a critical inter-agency meeting to discuss possible deployments. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa has also placed three Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Teams (PEMAT) on standby for deployment.
But for Go, known for his long-standing advocacy for OFWs, government action must be proactive and immediate.
“Dapat may nakatalaga talaga na ang trabaho ay bantayan at siguraduhin ang kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipinong naroon. Obligasyon natin ito sa bawat kababayan natin nasaan man sila sa mundo,” he stressed.
Go reiterated that the creation of the DMW under the Duterte administration was precisely meant to address situations like this. Signed into law in December 2021, Republic Act No. 11641 consolidated all OFW-related services under one department to make assistance more efficient and targeted.
“Kaya natin isinulong na maitayo ang DMW para may isang departamento na tutugon sa lahat ng pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino nasaan man sila sa mundo. Hindi na dapat sila mahihirapan humingi ng tulong sa gobyerno lalo na sa oras ng krisis at pangangailangan,” Go said.
“Itinuturing nating bagong bayani ang mga OFWs. Mahirap mawalay sa pamilya para mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang mga anak. Kaya sikapin talaga nating maiparamdam sa kanila ang malasakit at maiparating ang serbisyo na kailangan nila sa oras ng krisis tulad nito,” he added.
In addition to pushing for the DMW law, Go has filed several measures to improve healthcare services for OFWs, including Senate Bill No. 2297, which seeks to institutionalize the OFW Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga. The hospital was established under former president Rodrigo Duterte in partnership with the provincial government of Pampanga.
“Ang OFW Hospital ay konkretong patunay ng malasakit namin ni Pangulong Duterte sa mga manggagawang Pilipino sa abroad. Hindi ito dapat pabayaan. Dapat palakasin pa,” Go said citing that there is also a Malasakit Center in the said hospital to assist patients needing medical assistance.
He also filed SBN 2990 to expand the hospital’s bed capacity from 50 to 100 and improve its medical equipment and workforce.
Another measure, Senate Bill No. 2414 or the “OFW Ward Act,” mandates the creation of exclusive wards for OFWs and their dependents in all hospitals under the Department of Health (DOH).
The senator also urged Filipinos abroad, especially those affected by the quake, to contact Philippine embassies for immediate assistance and rally support for those affected.
“Hindi natin hahayaan na mawalan ng boses ang mga kababayan natin sa ibang bansa. Basta may Pilipinong nangangailangan, nandiyan dapat tayo. Walang iwanan,” he declared.
The 7.7-magnitude quake struck at a depth of around 10 kilometers, with its epicenter located near the central Myanmar town of Shwebo in Sagaing Region, a densely populated area dotted with low-rise residential buildings and temples.
The tremor, which occurred at approximately 8:45 p.m. local time, caused widespread devastation across central Myanmar and sent strong shockwaves across borders, including in Thailand, Laos, and parts of China.
