An 89-man Filipino humanitarian rescue team is giving vital assistance to different sites in Myanmar following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that left thousands dead.

Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, Office of Civil Defense Administrator, said the rescue team was assigned to look for signs of life at the Jade City Hotel in Naypyidaw after the quake caused the first 2 floors of the 10-story building to collapse.

“‘Yan ang pinuntahan ng rescuers, we had life detectors and found heat signatures pero non human pala,” he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo. The group is now set to be deployed to a different area.

PH sends rescue team to help Myanmar search for quake survivors

Nepomuceno said Philippine rescuers have not been assigned to Mandalay, where four overseas Filipino workers remain unaccounted for, despite a request letter from his office.

“May kanya-kanyang po kasing assignments…Although nagpadala kami ng sulat, ako mismo, hindi po natin lang ma derecha na dun lang tayo ma-assign kasi baka ma misinterpret po nila na ang ating pakay lang ay para sa ating mga kababayan although ‘yun po talaga, sa puso ng miyembro ng ating mga contingent natin dun, ‘yun talaga ang gusto natin,” he said.

“May protocol po. Dun kasi sa lugar ng Mandalay, kung saan nandoon ‘yung building, assigned po 'yan sa mga local [rescuers] ng Myanmar, mga taga Russia, China. Sila po ang nag o-operate sa mga area na ‘yun,” he added.

“Hindi natin pwede i-impose ang gusto natin dahil ang locals ang mag de determine kung saan taya ia-assign.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said 4 OFWs - all teachers residing in the Sky Villa condominium - remain missing after last Friday’s massive quake.

The Department of Migrant Workers said there are approximately 2,000 Filipinos in Myanmar, but the actual number remains uncertain due to the presence of scam hubs and human trafficking cases that involve Filipinos.

Nepomuceno said the humanitarian team will stay in Myanmar until April 12. A separate team will be deployed after April 12 if there is a need to extend the mission while the original group will return to the Philippines, he added.

He noted the team brought their own provisions including food, water and medicine. “Ayaw natin makadagdag sa mga pangangailangan ng dadatnan natin dahil mayroon silang sariling pinagdaraanan,” he said.