The Philippines is set to provide over $100,000 in financial assistance and deploy a humanitarian contingent to Myanmar following the devastating earthquake that claimed over 1,000 lives, including a foreign service officer from Myanmar’s foreign ministry.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega confirmed the Philippine Embassy had requested financial assistance and authorization to extend aid to Filipinos affected by the powerful quake.
“Our Embassy requested financial assistance, authorization. We will give over $100,000 (standby funds) to spend on the needs of our citizens,” De Vega said in Filipino on Monday.
According to the DFA official, the Philippines will dispatch medical professionals, earthquake response specialists, and search and recovery experts to assist in ongoing rescue operations.
Despite the extensive damage, no Filipino casualties or injuries have been reported so far. However, the DFA confirmed that four Filipinos remain missing.
The Embassy is prioritizing their rescue and welfare checks on the 151 Filipinos in Mandalay—the quake’s epicenter—all considered affected by the disaster. There are over 700 Filipinos in Myanmar, according to the DFA.
“Right now, our priority is to locate and save our four missing nationals,” De Vega said.
According to him, most Filipinos in Myanmar work in professional fields, including teaching and office-based roles. Among the 700 documented Filipinos in the country, many are employed in international schools and travel agencies.
Although no Filipinos have requested repatriation yet, De Vega noted the government would facilitate their evacuation should any seek to return home. He added that the challenge lies in Myanmar’s airport shutdowns, which would require repatriates to travel through Thailand.
De Vega noted that the Philippine search and rescue team is preparing for deployment and is expected to arrive in Myanmar by April 2 or 3. The team will first travel to Thailand before proceeding to Myanmar due to logistical difficulties in accessing the quake-hit areas.
Editor’s Note: Updates were made throughout this story. Originally posted with the headline “Philippines to provide over $100,000 in aid to Myanmar.”