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PRESIDENT Arroyo on Monday sent off a 30-member medical
mission to Burma to help in international relief efforts
for victims of a devastating cyclone that hit that
country early this month.
In a
statement, the President said the medical mission is
part of the Philippines’ duty as a fellow member of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
“As an
Asean neighbor, it is our duty to respond to the needs
of the people of Myanmar. It is our intention to be part
of the rescue, aid and relief efforts for the people of
Burma in the days to come,” the President said.
She also
said that the
Philippines,
which lies in a typhoon-prone area, “knows by heart the
tragedy that such calamities bring.”
“We also
know how the kindness of the international community and
private individuals can positively assist and uplift the
spirit of the people in the affected area,” she said.
Arroyo
also expressed elation over the decision of the Burmese
military junta to allow the entry of foreign aid to
assist the victims of the cyclone, which the ruling
junta earlier resisted.
“We are
happy that the government of Burma has accepted our help
for its suffering citizens,” she said.
The
President was joined in the ceremonial sendoff by
members of her Cabinet, namely, Defense Secretary
Gilbert Teodoro, concurrent National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC) chairman; Foreign Affairs
Secretary Alberto Romulo; and Social Welfare Secretary
Esperanza Cabral.
The
others were Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Alexander
Yano; the Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Pedrito
Candungog; and other government officials.
Arnel
Rivera, leader of the medical team, said the “seasoned
experts” who comprise the medical team, are veterans of
the numerous relief and rescue missions conducted by the
government during natural disasters hitting the country.
Rivera
added that the team is well-versed in “multitasking,”
making it capable of working more quickly to administer
aid to those who desperately need it.
The
medical team, composed of general surgeons, internists,
infectious-disease specialists, pediatricians, sanitary
engineers, psycho-social interventionists and paramedics
from the Department of Health (DOH), will bring P13
million worth of aid which includes medicines, water,
used clothing, blankets and family food packs.
Meanwhile, Sen. Richard Gordon on Sunday assured the
Burmese government of unwavering support as the
Philippines
joined the international community in committing aid and
assistance to the cyclone-hit nation at a pledging
conference held in
Rangoon,
Burma’s
former capital.
Gordon
said the President asked him to convey the country’s
readiness to assist Burma in the daunting task of relief
and rehabilitation in the areas devastated by Cyclone
Nargis.
Gordon
noted that the scale of death and destruction in the
rice-producing delta region and in Rangoon itself was
such that no nation could possibly surmount the
challenges of relief, recovery and rehabilitation by
itself.
“The
immediate and long-term requirements are staggering; but
of vital importance now is the urgency of bringing in
this assistance to the hundreds of thousands of homeless
and displaced victims who are facing starvation,
sickness, exposure to the elements and possible spread
of infectious diseases,” Gordon said.
“Burma
needs all the help that it can get, and the world
community is right there just ready to give it,” he
added.
Gordon
headed the Philippine delegation to the UN-Asean
Pledging Conference for Burma held on Sunday at the
Sedona Hotel in Rangoon. He is also chairman and chief
executive officer of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
Other
members of the delegation were Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary Enrique Manalo, Ambassador to Burma Noel
Cabrera, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Romeo
Manalo, NDCC executive officer Glenn Rabonza, Director
Zaldy Patron and Vice Consul Joselito Chad Jacinto Jr.
Gordon
also announced that in addition to the Philippine
government’s pledge, the PNRC, which he heads, will make
a cash donation of $15,000.
The
Philippines, likewise, pledged $50,000 in cash.
Cabrera,
meanwhile, said that Filipino organizations and private
businesses based in Burma have also launched donation
drives and contributed to the relief efforts in the most
severely hit areas of the country.
He noted
that the Philippine Embassy, in close coordination with
the Filipino community in
Burma,
was among the first to solicit and distribute relief aid
for the victims.
UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Asean Secretary
General Surin Pitsuwan spearheaded the conference,
attended by delegations from other countries and
international relief and humanitarian organizations.
(With Estrella Torres) |
