The first batch of the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent has arrived in Myanmar to assist communities affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.
According to the Office of Civil Defense, two C-130 planes carrying Philippine medical and search and rescue teams landed at Naypyidaw Airport in Myanmar on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, after refueling at Phitsanulok Airport in Thailand.
The first batch of the Philippine contingent, composed of 58 personnel, departed from Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 4:00 AM for a two-week deployment in Myanmar.
The remaining 33 members are scheduled to depart on Wednesday, April 2, aboard another C-130 aircraft, according to the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
The Philippine contingent includes urban search and rescue teams from the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Bureau of Fire Protection, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and private sector volunteers.
Additionally, medical assistance teams from the Department of Health’s Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) Visayas and Office of the Civil Defense coordinators are also part of the mission, along with 40 personnel from the PAF.
The latest reports indicate that the powerful earthquake has claimed over 2,000 lives, with more than 3,000 injured and 270 individuals still missing, including four unaccounted Filipinos.
The contingent brings essential search and rescue equipment as well as medical supplies to aid disaster relief operations.