The search for Filipino physician Dr. Juan Carlos Manalo continues in Nepal, with the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi now helping his family provide DNA information that could assist authorities in identifying recovered remains.
Manalo, a 30-year-old physician from Tarlac City, has remained missing since a devastating flash flood and mudslide struck near the Nepal-China border on August 26, 2026.
Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio said the embassy and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Nepal are continuing to coordinate with Nepalese authorities and rescue responders as search operations remain underway.
“We are in touch with the family,” Ignacio said, explaining that Nepal has called on relatives of missing people to provide DNA information to support the identification process.
The embassy, he added, is helping facilitate the family’s compliance with the request and remains ready to provide assistance.
Manalo remains officially missing
Manalo was in the region as part of a pilgrimage group when the disaster struck.
According to earlier reports from PNA and GMA News, his family last had direct communication with him on August 25, when he sent a message to his family at about 1:21 p.m. Philippine time. His last known location was connected to the Gyirong immigration area, near the Nepal-Tibet border.
His sister, Chiara Manalo, previously said that the family had received information indicating his phone was associated with the Timure area approximately 10 minutes before the flood hit, after which communications in the area were lost.
The family has continued to coordinate with Philippine officials, Nepalese authorities and other contacts in the region while waiting for information about his whereabouts.
Why DNA samples matter
The DNA process is part of Nepal’s broader effort to identify people who remain unaccounted for following the catastrophic flooding.
Rather than indicating that authorities have confirmed Manalo’s death, the DNA request is an identification measure for missing persons. Authorities can compare genetic information from close relatives with DNA obtained from unidentified remains.
This distinction is important: Manalo remains officially listed as missing, and there has been no official confirmation that he is among the deceased. The Philippine Embassy reiterated on September 12 that he remains listed as missing.
A doctor caught in a devastating pilgrimage disaster
Manalo is a general physician from Tarlac City who graduated from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health in 2021, according to GMA News.
He had been involved with the Isha Sadhguru group and traveled to the region as part of the Kailashyatra pilgrimage.
Earlier reports said members of the pilgrimage group were in the Gyirong area when the disaster struck. PNA reported that Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru confirmed that around 80 members of the group, including one Filipino, had been inside the immigration facility shortly before it was swept away.
The disaster caused widespread destruction across the region, leaving large numbers of people unaccounted for and severely damaging roads and infrastructure, making search operations particularly difficult.
Family continues to wait
For Manalo’s family, the search remains deeply personal.
His sister has repeatedly appealed for information and thanked individuals in Nepal, India and China who have tried to help trace his phone and establish his last known movements.
The family had also been advised by the Philippine Embassy to exercise caution about traveling directly to affected areas because of damaged roads, power outages and continuing safety concerns.
As of the latest Philippine government update on September 12, there was still no official confirmation of Manalo’s whereabouts or condition.
The Philippine Embassy said it will continue coordinating with Nepalese authorities and assisting the family while search and rescue efforts continue.
For now, the DNA process represents another avenue for authorities to establish the identities of those still unaccounted for—but it does not by itself mean that Dr. Manalo has been found or declared dead.
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