Senate President Francis Escudero has urged Philippine missions in Myanmar and Thailand to ensure all Filipinos are accounted for following the recent earthquake. He also called for immediate assistance to those affected in the two countries.
Escudero emphasized that the Philippine embassies in Yangon and Bangkok should closely monitor the situation and provide necessary help to Filipinos living, working, or visiting there.
“We still have Filipinos unaccounted for up to now and as such we should exert greater efforts to locate them at the soonest possible time. Once the dust has settled and the rescue operations have concluded, we must have a full accounting of the Filipinos who may have been affected by the earthquake and extend every possible assistance as necessary, including psychosocial support for the survivors,” according to him.
The Senate President expressed shock over the devastation caused by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the region, resulting in at least 1,700 deaths and many missing. He offered his condolences to the governments and families affected.
“We express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the governments of Myanmar and Thailand and most especially to the families who lost their loved ones to the devastating earthquake,” he said.
“Both countries have been gracious hosts to our OFWs over a long period of time and as fellow members of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we consider them as more than just neighbors, but part of our community of nations.”
In light of the disaster, Escudero also raised the need for a fresh inspection of infrastructure in the Philippines, which lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
“We must see to it that regular inspections are conducted on public infrastructure and on the structures constructed by the private sector, particularly the office and residential buildings that have sprouted over the past decades,” he said.IMT
