Intensify search for missing Filipinos in Myanmar quake – Gatchalian

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian called on Monday, March 31, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine consulate in Myanmar to intensify the search for Filipinos missing after the earthquake in Myanmar. PHOTO: Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine consulate in Myanmar to intensify the search for Filipinos missing after the earthquake in Myanmar.

On March 30, the DFA reported four Filipinos unaccounted for after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday.

READ: DFA: 4 Filipinos in quake-devastated Myanmar remain ‘unaccounted’

“I urge the DFA and the Philippine Consulate in Myanmar to intensify efforts in locating Filipinos who have yet to be accounted for in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake,” the senator said in a statement on Monday.

Gatchalian also urged the DFA and the embassy to assist Filipinos in Thailand who were also affected by the earthquake.

“The DFA, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy, should mobilize all resources to assist those who have been adversely affected and ensure that those in need of assistance are attended to,” he added.

Both Southeast Asian countries experienced casualties, with at least 144 people dead in Myanmar and another 10 confirmed dead in Thailand.

READ: Magnitude 7.7 quake in Myanmar: What we know

“As a member of the ASEAN community, we should stand ready to support humanitarian efforts in the region. Ang tulong natin, hindi lang sa kababayan, kundi para sa lahat ng apektado ng lindol,” Gatchalian stated.

(As a member of the ASEAN community, we should stand ready to support deployed humanitarian efforts in the region. We should help, not only our countrymen but also all those affected by the earthquake.)

Following the earthquake, the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense has since  humanitarian efforts, including emergency search and rescue, as well as medical assistance. —INQUIRER.net trainee, Keith Clores