PH deploys aid team to Myanmar

THE first batch of the Philippine team tasked with disaster response and humanitarian aid for earthquake-stricken Myanmar left Manila at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, April 1, 2025.

Before dawn, a send-off ceremony was conducted, with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno, and several Philippine Air Force (PAF) officials leading the event.

The Myanmar mission is headed by Lieutenant Colonel Erwen S. Diploma. They are tasked for urban search and rescue. They have brought necessary equipment and medical supplies. 

Meanwhile, the second batch team will follow suit on Wednesday. 

“Two C-130 aircraft transported the initial 58 contingent members for their two-week deployment to Myanmar, with the remaining 33 members scheduled for transport by a single C-130 aircraft on April 2, 2025,” said PAF in a statement. 

Furthermore, according to PAF, the mission to Myanmar highlights the government’s unwavering commitment to providing humanitarian aid, emphasizing its dedication to swift disaster response and fostering regional cooperation.

State media reports that the death toll in Myanmar from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on March 28 has risen to 2,065. 

Over 3,900 people have been injured, and at least 270 are still missing. Four Filipinos have been reported as unaccounted for.

This devastating event has also sparked concern among Filipinos, who are reminded of the vulnerability of the Philippines to similar catastrophic events. 

The aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar has raised alarms about the possibility of the “Big One”—a powerful earthquake that could hit the Philippines in the future.