PH aid team returns from Myanmar

THE 89-member Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) has returned home from a two-week mercy mission to earthquake-stricken Myanmar. Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesman Col. Consuelo Castillo said Monday the contingent, led by PAF Lt. Col. Erwen Diploma, arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City Sunday night. The group had left in two batches on April 1 and 2 to help in search and rescue efforts in quake-hit communities in Myanmar. One of its main tasks was to locate four missing Filipinos. A welcome ceremony was attended by Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., together with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa; Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno; Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.; PAF commander Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura; and representatives from partner agencies. The contingent is made up of personnel from the PAF, Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Department of Health (DOH). In his message, Teodoro conveyed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s congratulations to the team. The deployment to Myanmar was the first mission abroad for the DOH's Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (Pemat) since its recognition by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Type 1 Fixed-Post Emergency Medical Team in September 2024. The team set up a temporary health facility in Pyinmana, providing medical care to over 1,000 patients, ranging from emergency treatment for injuries to management of chronic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes. Pemat team leader Dr. Ivy Lozada said many residents were hesitant to seek help at actual hospitals for fear of aftershocks. "The work we did in Myanmar wasn't just about medication — it was about compassion, teamwork, and the belief that health is a human right," Lozada said. Pemat also offered mental health and psychosocial support for survivors coping with the trauma after the devastation. Health Secretary Herbosa lauded the team's efforts and professionalism. "You carried with you not only life-saving equipment and supplies but also the warmth of the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan, ready to heal, help, and stand in solidarity with those in distress," he said in a statement. The DOH has dispatched a second group of health experts from the Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB), National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), and East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) to Yangon. The MMDA's Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR) team, meanwhile, was assigned to areas where collapsed buildings, blocked roads and aftershocks complicated rescue efforts. Armed with life-detecting equipment, extrication tools, and portable water purification systems, the team helped retrieve trapped survivors and provided clean drinking water to hundreds of displaced families. "This mission tested not only our technical skills but also our compassion and endurance," said team leader John Michael Mende. "Every life we saved made all the hardship worth it." The MMDA hailed its SRR team as "a source of national pride," praising their courage, professionalism, and empathy in the face of danger. "Their service in Myanmar stands as a powerful symbol of the Philippines' solidarity with its Asean neighbors in times of crisis," the agency said in a statement. The Myanmar mission marks the MMDA's latest participation in a regional humanitarian operation, highlighting its growing role beyond Metro Manila. "As natural disasters become more frequent and severe, our commitment to preparedness and regional cooperation becomes even more vital," the MMDA said. "We are not only responders — we are neighbors, friends, and partners in recovery."