THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said search and rescue operations are still continuing for victims of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, including four Filipinos who remain missing.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said the Philippine Embassy in Myanmar is coordinating with local authorities and the Filipino community there.
There are 811 registered Filipinos working and residing in Myanmar.
De Vega said the four missing Filipinos include a married couple residing in a building in Mandalay City that collapsed from the March 28 quake that local authorities said has already killed at least 1,700 persons.
“The four unaccounted Filipinos are professionals, either working as teachers or office workers,” de Vega said in a radio interview yesterday.
He said search and rescue work are also ongoing for the two other Filipinos who lived near the collapsed building.
The embassy said there are 128 Filipinos in Mandalay and “121 are confirmed safe.”
“We have four who have not been located while we are awaiting confirmation on the status of three others,” it said in Filipino.
The Philippine embassy in Myanmar said it continues to conduct welfare checks on affected Filipinos and is also preparing to deploy a team to Mandalay for an on-the-ground assessment and direct welfare checks on Filipinos in the area.
“Arrangements are also being made to mobilize and distribute essential supplies and basic necessities to those in need, including possible evacuation routes for relocation or repatriation,” the embassy added.
It urged Filipinos there to remain vigilant for possible aftershocks.
“We also encourage continued communication with fellow Filipinos in your community to ensure each other’s safety.
On Saturday, the embassy in said it “gathering current and credible information” on the status of all affected Filipinos in Myanmar in order to determine resources necessary to assist them, including the deployment of a team on the ground to conduct welfare checks on them.
The embassy said Filipinos who require relocation or repatriation will also be assessed and assisted.
The embassy said it can be reached through the Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) hotline (+95 998 521 0991) or the official Philippine Embassy in Myanmar Facebook Messenger.
The Philippine Embassy in Thailand branded as “false information” social media posts saying 10 Filipinos perished in the earthquake.
“This is false information. As of this time, the Embassy has not received any report of Filipino nationals who were harmed by this unfortunate disaster,” the embassy said Saturday night.
It added it continues to monitor the situation and advised Filipinos there to get updates “from credible and verifiable sources of information, and avoid spreading fake and unverified news.”
For emergencies, the embassy said, it can be reached through the Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) hotline +66 81 989 7116 or email at bangkok.pe@dfa.gov.ph.
There are 32, 950 Filipinos living and working in Thailand, according to the DFA.
A 114-man team from government agencies and a mining company are due to be deployed to Myanmar to assist quake victims.
“We stand in solidarity with Myanmar during this difficult time,” said Defense Secretary and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr said in a statement on Saturday night.
“The Philippines is ready to respond to the urgent needs of our neighbors, and we are mobilizing resources to provide assistance as quickly as possible,” added Teodoro.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the NDRRMC’s implementing arm, said the tentative departure date of the contingent is Tuesday.
The team, to be led by Air Force Col. Erwin Diploma, will be staying in Myanmar for two weeks. It includes 31 personnel from the Department of Health, 80 urban search and rescue personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Apex Mining Corporation/First Gen-Energy Development Corporation.
The OCD said Myanmar has requested “urgent assistance,” including search and rescue teams, medical assistance teams, medicines, medical equipment, emergency first aid kits, mobile generators, water sanitation kits, solar-powered lights, and temporary shelters. – With Victor Reyes
