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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH responders to end special mission in Turkiye on Feb. 24 – OCD

PH responders to end special mission in Turkiye on Feb. 24 – OCD

Published Feb 21, 2023 12:36 pm

The Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) will conclude their special mission of assisting in the search, rescue, and retrieval operations in the earthquake-hit Turkiye on Friday, Feb. 24.

Photo: Office of Civil Defense / OCD

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said it was preparing for the homecoming of the 82-man responders which is expected not later than March 1.

“I would like to thank the men and women of the Department of Health, Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Metro Manila Development Authority, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for answering the call for help of Turkiye by deploying personnel despite the risks and harsh weather conditions that they may encounter,” OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Meanwhile, the OCD said the contingent "is in good and safe condition" after Turkiye and Syria were hit by an aftershock with a 6.3-magnitude on Monday, two weeks since the major 7.8-magnitude temblor struck on Feb. 6 and killed more than 46,000 individuals. The field hospital and base camp were still operational and communication with the Filipino responders remains uninterrupted following the strong aftershock.

The OCD said that the PIAHC's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team was placed on standby “due to decrease in chance of finding signs of life and rescuing survivors.” They are waiting for request for assistance on retrieval operations from the local emergency authorities in the southern province of Adiyaman.

Since they started their special mission on Feb. 10, the USAR team have assessed 36 collapsed buildings and retrieved four bodies under the quake debris.

Meanwhile, the PIAHC’s Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) continued to treat injured victims and trauma care patients at the field hospital they established at a bus station in Adiyaman. So far, they have treated 650 patients.

“The team is the face of hope of our brothers and sisters in Turkiye. Every rubble cleared and every patient treated provide a glimpse of hope to the victims of this tragic event,” Nepomuceno said.

The OCD Administrator said the PIAHC “raised the Philippine flag overseas” and showed to the international community that the Philippines “can go side by side with other countries” in terms of providing humanitarian assistance at an international recognized standard.

“We can’t wait for their homecoming as we welcome our contingent back and recognize the heroic deeds they have accomplished,” he noted.

Related Tags

turkiye OCD-6 Earthquake PIAHC 2212023
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