A 91-MAN Philippine contingent arrived yesterday in Myanmar to extend assistance to victims of the 7.7 magnitude quake that hit the country last Friday and left at least 2,700 dead.
“This is our way of helping our neighbor. This is part of One ASEAN, One Response,” said Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Ariel Nepomuceno.
“One ASEAN, One Response” is an ASEAN declaration calling for a united response to disasters inside and outside the region.
Nepomuceno, also executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said it is the Philippines’ responsibility to help as a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The Philippine Embassy in Myanmar, meanwhile, said none of the four Filipinos missing in Mandalay has been located.
“As of this point, there have not been any confirmed Filipinos who were rescued or retrieved from the site. Operations are still ongoing,” the embassy said in an advisory issued late Monday night.
Nepomuceno was among officials who led the sendoff the contingent from the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City early morning yesterday.
The contingent members, who boarded two C-130 aircraft, arrived in Myanmar several hours later, after refueling in Thailand.
The contingent, under the command of Air Force Col. Erwen Diploma, is composed of personnel from the Department of Health (DOH), Air Force, Army, Bureau of Fire Protection, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Apex Mining Corporation/First Gen-Energy Development Corporation.
The DOH team is composed of doctors, nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, midwife, nursing attendant, administrative, logistics, and technical staff members.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who was also at the sendoff, said the DOH’s
Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) will provide services, such as acute medical care, trauma management, pharmaceutical provisions, isolation facilities, and referrals.
The Air Force said 58 of the contingent members boarded the first aircraft and the 33 others boarded the second aircraft.
“Bringing with them essential search and rescue equipment and medical supplies, these personnel are ready to perform life-saving operations, provide medical assistance, and deliver critical aid throughout the mission,” the Air Force said in a statement.
“This mission affirms the Philippine government’s dedication to humanitarian assistance, reinforcing our nation’s commitment to swift disaster response and regional cooperation,” it added.
The OCD said the contingent will stay in Myanmar for two weeks.
Diploma vowed to do their best in Myanmar, saying, “We have the capability and technical equipment, alongside our experienced rescuers.”
NDRRMC spokesman Chris Noel Bendijo said Myanmar officials will decide as to where the Philippine contingent will be deployed.
On appeals to use the contingent in finding the missing Filipinos, Bendijo said, “We can perhaps request (Myanmar officials) but again we really have to follow their plan.”
The Philippine Embassy in Myanmar said a 5-man Composite Assistance to Nationals Team it deployed to assist and look for Filipinos in Mandalay arrived in the city on Monday night.
“They immediately met with the Filipino community coordinators in Mandalay to ascertain the situation and well-being of the Filipinos. The team then proceeded to the site of the last known whereabouts of the four unaccounted for Filipinos and met with the site supervisors overseeing the search and rescue operations,” the embassy said.
There are 811 Filipinos living and working in Myanmar, including 128 in Mandalay. – With Gerard Naval
