The shells of burned houses and buildings are left after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, US Aug. 11, 2023. (Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources/Handout via REUTERS)
MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said it is ready to help Filipinos affected by the destructive wildfires in the Hawaiian island of Maui.
But Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said it was unlikely that affected Filipinos would seek repatriation as they are permanent residents in the United States.
Foreign Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes noted that the situation of Filipinos in Hawaii was quite different from Filipinos caught in crisis situations in other countries like Sudan or Turkey.
Cortes said that based on the conversation he had with the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Filipinos whose homes were burned down by the wildfires have already been evacuated by authorities to shelters within the Maui area.
De Vega said the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu was in touch with local authorities and is closely monitoring the wildfires. To date, there are no confirmed Filipino deaths, he said.