Pinoys affected by Myanmar quake relocated

The Philippine Embassy in Myanmar has relocated the Filipinos affected by the magnitude-7.7 earthquake that struck the country on 28 March.

According to the embassy, the first batch of 15 Filipinos who were voluntarily relocated on 3 April were provided transportation and temporary accommodations.

A second batch is scheduled to be relocated on Sunday, 6 April. The displaced Filipinos will receive welfare assistance, including financial aid, medical support and trauma counseling, the embassy said.

Search for missing Filipinos

The National Bureau of Investigation’s Disaster Victim Identification Division (NBI-DVID) has sent a team to Mandalay to collect tissue samples from unidentified remains recovered from the Sky Villa condominium where some Filipinos lived. The NBI-DVID in Manila will also collect samples from the family members of the missing Filipinos to confirm their identities.

The embassy has urged other Filipinos in need of assistance to complete a form (https://tinyurl.com/YPEForm) and submit it via the embassy’s official email address: yangon.pe@dfa.gov.ph.

They may also contact Filipino coordinators for counseling at +959985210998, or for accommodations and transportation at +959940301188.

Philippine contingent

On 1 and 2 April, the Philippines sent an Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PHIAC) to assist in search and rescue operations. The PHIAC consisted of 91 members from the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Bureau of Fire Protection, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the private sector.

According to Chargé d’Affaires in Yangon Angelito Nayan, there were 128 registered Filipinos in Mandalay. Of this number, 121 have been marked safe, four remain unaccounted for, while the status of three are yet to be confirmed.

On Saturday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) expressed support for the Philippine humanitarian contingent but emphasized the teams must follow the directives set by Myanmar authorities.

“Urban search and rescue teams from Myanmar, Vietnam, Russia, and China are currently assigned to the Sky Villa area,” said OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno.

Per international reports, the earthquake death toll has risen to 3,145, as search and rescue teams continue to recover remains.

OCD hopeful 4 missing Pinoys still alive

The OCD remains hopeful that the four missing Filipinos in earthquake-hit Myanmar will be found alive.

Nepomuceno emphasized that the Philippine humanitarian contingent, working in close coordination with Myanmar authorities, is following their operational plans in the search for the missing individuals. He appealed to the public to pray for the safe recovery of the Filipinos and for the success of the mission.