Still no reports of Filipinos killed in Maui wildfires –DFA

There were no Filipino deaths confirmed so far amid the wildfires that hit Lahaina on the island of Maui, Hawaii, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said that at least 80 people have died, while a thousand more remain missing due to the wildfires, but none of them were confirmed as Filipino citizens.

“Wala pang balita. Eighty ang mga namatay, wala pa tayong confirmation na Filipino. Pagdasal natin,” he said.

(There is still no news. Eighty people died. We still don't have confirmation that there were Filipinos. Let's pray.)

The DFA official said there were 25,000 Filipino-Americans in Maui, which comprised 17% of the island’s population. In total, 200,000 Filipino-Americans were staying and/or working in the state of Hawaii.

The Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce said hundreds of Filipinos were among the more than 1,000 missing in the wildfires which erupted on Tuesday.

De Vega said that it was possible, but authorities were still gathering data as the internet and communication lines to the island were still down.

“Maari po, pero hindi natin masabi kung talagang Filipino citizens pa kasi sabi ni Consul General Emilio Fernandez, karamihan ng mga Pilipino sa Maui ay American citizens,” he explained.

(It is possible, but we cannot say if they are really Filipino citizens because Consul General Emilio Fernandez said most of the Filipinos in Maui are American citizens.)

“‘Yung mga Filipino naman, wala naman mismo sa forest. Hindi naman sila mismo sa kung saan ang sunog, pero malapit. May mga neighborhood, nasunog ang bahay. ‘Yung mga Pilipino nagta-trabaho do’n tourists resort o hotel…kung missing, ibig sabihin nawalan ng contact o pina-evacuate,” he added.

(The Filipinos were not staying in the forest. They were not exactly where the fire was, but they were close to it. There are neighborhoods where houses have burned down. Filipinos who work in tourist resorts or hotels who went missing might have lost contact or were evacuated.)

In Jonathan Andal's report on 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday, Fernandez also said that Filipino teachers recently recruited to Hawaii were safe. "Mayroon rin mga bagong dating na teachers recruited in Hawaii...mga otsenta sila. Out of 80…50 were assigned in the island of Maui. Thankfully they, are accounted for safe in temporary shelters," he said.

De Vega also said that there were no reports of Filipinos being evacuated to Hawaii's capital, Honolulu.

“Walang Pilipinong inilipat to Honolulu… nandoon pa rin sila lahat sa Maui. Ang latest, within 24 to 48 hours, magiging malinaw na ang situation,” he said.

(No Filipinos were transferred to Honolulu… they are all still in Maui. The situation will be clearer within 24 to 48 hours.)

Asked where the Filipinos were staying in Maui, de Vega said authorities were building shelters for affected individuals.

The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu also said concerned families in the Philippines may get in touch with it via 24/7 emergency hotline (+1 808 253 9466), email (honolulu.pcg@dfa.gov.ph), or Facebook page. They may also reach out to OFW Help on Facebook for assistance. — DVM/BM, GMA Integrated News