The first batch of Filipino rescuers arrived in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw Tuesday afternoon to provide much-needed aid to a population that is still reeling from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has claimed over 2,000 lives.
Some 58 personnel from the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force (PAF), Bureau of Fire Protection, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and private sector partners such as EDC and APEX Mining, departed from Villamor Air Base aboard two C-130 cargo planes earlier the same day.
Members of the contingent, headed by PAF Lt. Col. Erwen Diploma, are trained and equipped for urban search and rescue missions, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
“After refueling at Phitsanulok Airport in Thailand, the two C-130 planes landed at Naypyidaw Airport in Myanmar carrying the first batch of the Philippine Inter-agency Humanitarian Contingent that will be undertaking medical as well as search and rescue missions to aid victims of the 7.7 magnitude quake in Myanmar.” the OCD said in a Facebook post.
They brought essential search and rescue equipment and medical supplies to conduct life-saving operations and distribute critical aid, the agency added.
Today, another 33 personnel are scheduled to depart from Manila, bringing the Philippine contingent’s total number to 91.
This is apart from the 40 PAF personnel who comprise the C-130 flight crew, aircraft security and aeromedical staff.
OCD chief Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized the readiness of the OCD and its partner agencies to provide rescue and relief efforts, citing previous experiences in Turkey and Syria.
In response to the Myanmar disaster, he also urged local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines to accelerate retrofitting efforts for key infrastructure to improve earthquake resilience.
He stressed the importance of strengthening public buildings such as schools and health centers to withstand major seismic events, citing Japan as a global model for disaster preparedness.
“The most critical step in enhancing our earthquake preparedness is to implement engineering solutions, such as retrofitting essential structures like schools and health centers,” Nepomuceno said.
The government is also ramping up public awareness campaigns on earthquake safety, including the “duck, cover, and hold” protocol.
Nepomuceno warned that the Philippines must also be prepared for a potential large-scale earthquake—often referred to as “The Big One”—which could result in significant casualties.
For his part, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. reaffirmed the Philippine government’s solidarity with Myanmar, highlighting the country’s commitment to disaster response and regional cooperation.
Meanwhile, Myanmar held a minute’s silence on Tuesday in tribute to victims of a catastrophic earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people, buckling roads and flattening buildings as far away as Bangkok.
Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, many people in Myanmar are still sleeping outdoors, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks.
Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city with 1.7 million inhabitants, suffered some of the worst destruction.
Outside the Sky Villa apartment complex, one of the city’s worst-hit disaster sites, rescue workers stopped and lined up with hands clasped behind their backs to pay their respects.
Officials and attendants stood behind a cordon, watching relatives further back, as the sirens wailed and a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast from a bamboo pole tied to a rescue tent.
The moment of remembrance is part of a week of national mourning declared by the ruling junta, with flags to fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 “in sympathy for the loss of life and damages.”
The junta said Monday that 2,056 people have been confirmed dead, with more than 3,900 injured and 270 missing.
However, the toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake.
More than 1,000 foreign rescuers have flown in to help and Myanmar state media reported that nearly 650 people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings around the country.
Hundreds of kilometers away, Bangkok city authorities said the death toll there had risen to 20, the vast majority killed when a 30-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed. With AFP
