The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently issued guidelines on the Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) operations in the field to address significant issues and gaps.
Memorandum Circular No. 2026-03, issued on Jan. 27, 2026, directs the establishment of Regional and Provincial MDM Clusters, as well as all LGUs except at the barangay level.
Pursuant to NDRRMC Memorandum Circular No. 19, s. 2016, the National MDM Cluster is tasked with ensuring the proper monitoring, reporting and documentation of disaster occurrences and their effects, especially in handling dead bodies (retrieval, identification, and final disposal), processing reports of, and scientific search for, missing persons, and taking care of the basic psychological, physiological and social needs of bereaved families, while ensuring that legal norms are followed, and the dignity of the deceased and their families are respected in accordance with their cultural and religious beliefs.
All LGUs, excluding those at the barangay level, and partner agencies must establish a functional MDM Cluster within their jurisdiction.
The MDM Cluster may recommend or enhance local systems and procedures to strengthen coordination and collaboration between and among partner agencies, stakeholders, and concerned entities involved in disaster preparedness and response, as well as with the Search Rescue and Retrieval (SRR) Cluster to organize operations and ensure proper documentation.
Under the circular, the Provincial MDM Lead Convenor is the Provincial DRRM Office, with the following sub-clusters: Disaster Victim Identification (Provincial Health Office); Final Disposition/Arrangement of the Dead (Office of the Provincial Administrator); Management of Missing Persons (PNP Provincial Office); and Management of the Bereaved Families (Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office).
A similar arrangement will be followed at the municipal level, according to the circular, with LGUs allowed to identify logistical and manpower deficiencies, including a need for specialists or experts not available within the local team and insufficient response capabilities to manage an MDM operation.
The Municipal MDM Cluster shall be activated upon the activation of the local Response Cluster or as directed by the local chief executive, while the Provincial MDM Cluster shall be activated if a request for augmentation is directed to the cluster or if two or more Municipal MDM Clusters are activated.
The circular mandates that the verification and validation process shall be observed at all levels when reporting disaster/emergency deaths and missing persons.
For dead and missing persons, the data can only be verified through a PNP Spot and/or Progress Report while for coastal incidents, the Spot Report shall be issued by the Philippine Coast Guard.
For the dead, the data can only be validated through the issuance of a Death Certificate.
The Local MDM Cluster shall notify the higher DRRM Office through the Local DRRM Office of the initial information on the dead and missing person within 24 hours of receiving the report.
For dead and missing person with positive identification, a verified and validated report must be submitted within a maximum of 14 days from receipt of initial reports.
However, special considerations are given to bodies requiring further assessment such as those needing identification through primary identifiers or forensics and bodies retrieved from landslides or coastal areas.
The circular particularly provides a provision on qualifying disaster or emergency casualties, which requires consistency between the PNP spot report and the death certificate.
The Local MDM Cluster is tasked to deliberate on the issue and verify the circumstances of death, which should be directly or indirectly related to the disaster or emergency.
The death is directly related if the circumstances are due to drowning, landslide, flooding, electrocution, falling debris, fire or other related causes.
Indirectly related circumstances include medical complications, infections, delayed medical response, accidents during evacuation, dehydration or malnutrition, exposure to extreme weather or other related circumstances.
“Questionable deaths requiring further assessment and investigation should not be officially categorized as disaster-related until sufficient evidence or investigation results confirm their link to the disaster or emergency,” the circular stressed.
Negligence or non-compliance with protocols that diminish the disaster’s role as the primary cause of death shall be classified as questionable deaths, which may include but are not limited to: (1) crossing spillways or flood-prone areas despite advisories; (2) sailing or fishing during declared no-sailing periods; (3) engaging in risky activities while intoxicated or in hazardous areas, among others.
The MDM Cluster shall guarantee the protection of personal data in the verification and validation process and ensure confidentiality of personal and sensitive information at all times.
The information should only be shared with authorized personnel and agencies and no information about the identified dead person/s shall be shared with the general public unless direct consent has been secured pursuant to Section 13(a) of Republic Act 10173.