Philippines mobilizes humanitarian aid for quake-hit Myanmar

The Philippine government is working to provide humanitarian aid to Myanmar, which was hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on Friday that killed more than 1,000 people.

In a statement on Saturday, the Office of Civil Defense said that a critical interagency meeting was assembled to coordinate the Philippine response and deliver needed support for affected victims.

"We stand in solidarity with Myanmar during this difficult time. The Philippines is ready to respond to the urgent needs of our neighbors, and we are mobilizing resources to provide assistance as quickly as possible,” said Defense Secretary and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council  chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Myanmar. The Office of Civil Defense, along with other government agencies, is committed to assisting Myanmar, drawing from our experience in providing immediate aid during the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria,” added OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health’s Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) was on standby, along with one light Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team each from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and Apex Mining Corporation/First Gen-Energy Development Corporation (EDC) SRR Teams.

A total of 114 personnel are expected to be deployed.

April 1 is the estimated departure date for the deployment, which will last for two weeks.

The death toll in Myanmar climbed to 1,644, the military government said on Saturday, according to BBC Burmese news service.

An initial assessment by Myanmar's opposition National Unity Government said at least 2,900 buildings, 30 roads, and seven bridges had been damaged by the quake.

"Due to significant damage, Naypyitaw and Mandalay international airports are temporarily closed," said the NUG, which includes remnants of the elected civilian government ousted by the military in a 2021 coup that triggered the civil war.

The control tower at the airport in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's purpose-built capital city, collapsed, rendering it inoperable, a person with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

A Myanmar junta spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment. —with Reuters/VBL, GMA Integrated News