The Philippines is deploying an emergency response team to assist in the disaster relief efforts in Myanmar following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck three days ago.
According to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, the team consists of 114 personnel from the Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Their tentative deployment is set for Tuesday.
The powerful quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, has left at least 1,700 people dead, 3,400 injured, and over 300 missing as of Sunday.
The Philippine Embassy in Yangon reported that four of the 128 registered Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Myanmar remain unaccounted for. Meanwhile, all Filipinos in Thailand, which also felt the tremor, have been confirmed safe.
Castro stated that an interagency meeting was held to mobilize government resources for disaster assistance. She also emphasized that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is closely monitoring the situation, particularly the welfare of affected Filipinos.
“That is the directive of the President to concerned agencies—to immediately assist our neighboring countries,” Castro said in a Palace press briefing.