The Philippine Inter-Agency Contingent to Turkiye successfully arrived at Istanbul on Thursday at 11:59 PST and immediately commenced their mission Friday, February 10, 2023.
The contingent is composed of 82 members: 12 from the 505th Search and Rescue Group of the Philippine Air Force, 21 from the 525th Engineering Combat Battalion of the Philippine Army, nine from the Metro Manila Development Authority, eight from Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, 30 from the Department of Health, and two from the Office of Civil Defense.
A few were left behind from the contingent due to lack of required travel documents. This concern does not in any way affect the overall integrity and capability of the force.
The Office of Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno underscored, “The Philippine Contingent remains dedicated, and ready for their mission to help the People of Turkiye and all the victims of this tragic earthquake, despite of all the challenges they met since they left the Philippines and the harsh and extreme weather they will experience in Turkiye.”
The 82-man team of the Philippines, who departed Adana Airport 3:35 AM PST today, is expected to begin their mission today once settled upon arrival in Adiyaman. The Philippines was also able to deploy a response team within the international standard of deploying a response team within 48 hours.
“Our team in Turkiye is well coordinated with the Turkish Government and with our embassy officials. This strong coordination facilitated the smooth arrival and operations in the designated area in Turkiye thereby ensuring the adherence to international standards ,” Usec Nepomuceno concluded. (VICTOR BALDEMOR RUIZ)
