The 91-member Philippine team deployed to Myanmar following the magnitude-7.7 earthquake on March 28 focused on search and retrieval at the collapsed Jade City Hotel in a northern suburb of Naypyitaw, rather than the search for four missing Filipinos in Mandalay, located 245 kilometers from the capital.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), all Filipino personnel were in good health and continued to support operations around the capital.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) head Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said that while they hoped to assist in Mandalay, their assignment was the Naypyitaw area.
Rescue operations in Mandalay, including the search for the missing Filipinos at the Sky Villa apartment block, were being conducted by teams from Myanmar, Vietnam, Russia, and China, many of whom arrived within the crucial 72-hour window after the earthquake.
Prior to the Philippine team’s arrival, a hotel worker was rescued alive, but most recent recoveries involved fatalities.
The DOH reported that despite challenges like limited communication and extreme heat, the team effectively managed operations by using local interpreters and holding continuous coordination meetings to improve teamwork and efficiency.
The team, led by Air Force Lt. Col. Erwen Diploma, arrived in Naypyitaw on April 1 and 2 and quickly prepared for deployment. Starting April 1, they established a fixed medical station near a Buddhist temple, offering free healthcare services, though most cases were not directly earthquake-related. The DOH noted significant demand for these services, with queues forming soon after opening.
On April 3, some team members were deployed to Lewe Township Hospital, south of Naypyitaw, where they conducted 17 medical consultations across various specialties.
The Philippine Embassy in Myanmar meanwhile has began relocating affected Filipinos. The first group of 15 was voluntarily relocated on April 3, with the embassy providing transport and temporary housing. A second group was scheduled for relocation on Sunday, April 6. The embassy stated that the displaced Filipinos would receive welfare assistance, including financial aid, medical support, and trauma counseling.
In Mandalay, the National Bureau of Investigation’s Disaster Victim Identification Division (NBI-DVID) sent a team to collect tissue samples from unidentified remains found at the collapsed Sky Villa condominium, where some of the missing Filipinos had resided. Simultaneously, the NBI-DVID office in Manila will collect DNA samples from the families of the missing to aid in identification.
Filipinos in Myanmar in need of help are advised to fill out a form at https://tinyurl.com/YPEForm or email the Philippine Embassy at yangon.pe@dfa.gov.ph.
For assistance, they may also contact Filipino coordinators at +959985210998 (counseling) or +959940301188 (accommodations and transportation).
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Philippine humanitarian team aids quake victims in Naypyidaw”