Rescue workers search for victims trapped in the rubble of a damaged temple in Mandalay on March 30, 2025, two days after an earthquake struck central Myanmar. Sai Aung Main, AFP

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — The Philippine government announced Monday it was sending a 90-member team to help in the search, rescue and retrieval efforts in Myanmar after it was hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that killed over 1,600 people and caused widespread destruction.

WHO classifies Myanmar quake a 'top-level emergency,' seeks urgent funding

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PHIAC) will consist of: 

• 3 personnel from the OCD

• 10 personnel from the Philippine Army (PA) 525th Combat Engineer Battalion

• 11 personnel from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) 505th Search and Rescue Group

• 10 personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) - Special Rescue Unit

• 10 personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)

• 14 search and rescue personnel from the private sector

• 32 medical personnel from the Department of Health (DOH)

“Ang pangunahing misyon natin diyan ay makatulong sa paghahanap ng maaaring survivors doon sa mga naguhuan o nabagsakan ng mga istruktura dahil sa magnitude 7.7 earthquake at makapagbigay din tayo ng assistance sa mga tinamaan at naging biktima ng malakas na lindol,” OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Monday.

“Ang OCD nandiyan din para tulungan silang mabuo ang Tactical Command and Control sa area—ang ating communications and logistics. Ganyan din ang ginawa natin dati sa Turkiye. Uulitin lang natin para maipakita natin ang ating pakikipagkaibigan o solidarity sa ating mga kasama sa Myanmar," he added.

In Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, soldiers from the PA’s 525th Combat Engineer Battalion prepared their hydraulic spreaders, cutters, rotary hammers and other equipment that will be used to search the debris left by the quake.

First Lieutenant Alexis Nocos, PA 525th Combat Engineer Battalion team leader, said the troops are prepared for both their mission and personal survival.

“Prepared po ang 525th. Meron kaming mga dalang generator. In case ng personal survival, meron din kaming dalang supplies—mga pagkain at gamot,” Nocos noted. 

“Alam naman nila [families] and, for sure, they are proud sa mga kasama ko," he added.

A send-off ceremony will be conducted for the Philippine Contingent on Tuesday, April 1.

In an advisory, the PAF said the ceremony would be held at the Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City early Tuesday morning.

Myanmar quake: What we know

Nepomuceno said the 90-member contingent will be flown to Myanmar on two C-130 aircraft, with their “recommended deployment” lasting until April 12. 

“Repatriation ng ating contingent on the 12th and 13th of April,” he noted.

“Yung non-food items hindi muna pinrioritize kasi baka hindi magkasya lahat sa eroplano. Inuna natin ang rescue teams natin at ang provisions nila,” he added.

“Tignan natin kung kakailanganin pa iyan. Meron naman tayo subalit for this particular trip, hindi muna natin sinama.”

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, considered to be one of the biggest in the last century, was felt as far away as China and Thailand. 

The Myanmar government has requested urgent assistance, including emergency search and rescue teams, medical assistance teams, medicines, emergency first aid kits, mobile generators, water sanitation kits, solar-powered lights and temporary shelters, such as tents and tarpaulin sheets.

Scientists explain why Myanmar quake was so deadly

For humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations, Nay Pyi Taw Airport will serve as the primary entry point while Yangon Airport may be utilized as a refueling site for aircraft.

Nepomuceno said the Philippines is also ready to send a separate contingent to help in post-earthquake response in Thailand if needed. 

“Kahit sa Thailand, kapag kailangan, may other capable team members naman po tayo. Again, marami tayong tauhan at equipment subalit ito muna ang ipinadala natin, as requested by Myanmar,” he said.

RELATED VIDEO: