191 Filipinos displaced as LA fires rage on

A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LOS ANGELES – The number of Filipinos seeking assistance from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, in the wake of devastating Southern California wildfires, has risen to 191, according to Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz.

Cruz told Inquirer.net USA Monday they expect this number to increase as Los Angeles residents face another round of intense fire danger, with the powerful Santa Ana winds returning Tuesday.

The wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people, as of Monday. There are no Filipinos among the fatalities, Cruz said.

Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz / FILE PHOTO

The Consulate is working with the LA-based Pilipino Workers Center to provide assistance to Filipino victims, including finding housing for those who have lost their homes or have been placed under evacuation orders.

More than 12,000 homes, businesses, schools and other structures have been destroyed by wildfires that began to ravage the Los Angeles area last Tuesday.

A total of 40,300 acres have burned across multiple blazes including the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, CalFire said in an update Monday.

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Cruz, who also serves as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assistant secretary, said he has been authorized by the DFA to provide $200 in emergency assistance to every Filipino “proven to have been affected” by the fires.

Southern California is home to about 700,000 Filipinos, with more than 300,000 living in Los Angeles County, according to the 2020 census.

Cruz said the Consulate is also reaching out to Fil-Am businesses and organizations to coordinate donation drives for relief efforts.

Cruz said they support the Pilipino Workers Center’s Mutual Aid Community Care program that aims to help the Filipino community heal and rebuild following the devastating fires.

The program is designed to be “a holistic initiative that involves both giving care and receiving care,” PWC spokesperson Hannah De Castro-Abinuman told Inquirer.net USA.

“It’s about recognizing that, while some may need support, others have the ability and willingness to offer help.”

PWC is currently doing a survey to better understand the specific needs of the community “so we can address them effectively,” De Castro-Abinuman said.

In addition to setting up a donation page to support those affected by the wildfires, PWC is also “surveying available resources” within the community, including cash assistance and volunteering opportunities, she said.

“Whether it’s material support, emotional care or volunteer power, your input will help us connect those in need with those ready to lend a hand,” De Castro-Abinuman added.

“By sharing your needs or your willingness to help, you become part of a network of care – one that can provide comfort, relief and hope.”