SECRETARY ROMULO AND SECRETARY DAYRIT SEND OFF RP MEDICAL CONTINGENTS TO SRI LANKA, INDONESIA;
RP FORENSIC TEAM TO THAILAND BEING FORMED

31 December 2004 – Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo and Secretary of Health Manuel M. Dayrit today expressed high hopes that the dispatch of a Philippine medical-civic contingent to Sri Lanka would help in alleviating the sufferings of the thousands of disaster victims and strengthen the international humanitarian relief operations now ongoing in the island nation ravaged by the earthquake-caused tsunamis on 26 December 2004.

In compliance with the instructions of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to organize a medical-civic contingent to tsunami-stricken countries, the Department of Health in coordination with the Office of the Executive Secretary and Department of Foreign Affairs will be deploying a 12-man team composed of doctors, nurses and sanitary engineers to Sri Lanka on 01 January 2005.

“Our team’s main responsibility will be to provide medical assistance to victims and coordinate with other teams in the area,” Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit declared during the presentation to the media of the team, which was also attended by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Philippines, H.E. Ariya Bandara Rekawa.

The Health Secretary added that the Sri Lanka team members are disaster and trauma specialists who were deployed to Iraq and Quezon province during the relief operations after the area was ravaged by a series of typhoons last month.

For his part, Secretary Romulo said “the Philippines joins the world in helping alleviate the suffering of this catastrophe that has affected more lives that we could even begin to count.  As we thanked the international community for coming to the aid of the Philippines when Luzon was recently hit with typhoons, the Filipinos are pleased to assist the countries reeling from this monumental disaster.”

The said DOH team will be deployed to Sri Lanka for a period of 10-15 days.  The team, coming from various hospitals and LGUs, is led by Dr. Romeo Almazan Bituin, and is composed of Drs. Joseph Espinosa, Vilma dela Cruz, Luis Juan Arroyo and Mike Lao.  Other members of the team include Ms Aida Cuadra, Ms. Maria Ivy Ocampo, Mr. Oliver Maat, Ms Ruth Badic, Ms Venus Cariño, Engr. Rodel Pineda and Engr. Joselito Riego de Dios.

Following the presentation of the members of the medical team bound for Sri Lanka, Ambassador Rekawa conveyed the heartfelt gratitude of the Sri Lankan Government and people stating “we are very thankful to the Philippines for sending a team to help the disaster victims in our country.”

According to Secretary Romulo, a 10-man contingent is likewise being prepared for deployment to Indonesia early next week also for a period of 10-15 days. This undertaking is part of the Human Relief Operation commitment of the Philippine government to the Indonesia.

The Indonesia-bound team is composed of Drs. Sukarno Asri, Waldo Mandai, Sangkula Laja, and Falmi Usman. Other members are Ms Julie Villadolid, Mr. Joseph Quiling, Mr. Raffy Tuloganan, Andrew Mar Vergara, Kamarudin Kunakon, and Jerry Porras

“The medical-civic team bound for Indonesia is already organized and ready to be deployed anytime,” Secretary Dayrit said, adding that the DOH is currently awaiting guidance form the Indonesian ambassador.

Mr. Sanusi, Chargé d’Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, who was also present during the program, conveyed the sincerest appreciation of the Indonesian people for the Philippines’ gesture of sending a medical-civic team to their country.

During the briefing that followed the program, Secretary Romulo informed that the Philippines is preparing to send a forensic team to Thailand that would help in identifying the tsunami victims there, according to the request of the Thai government.  According to Secretary Romulo the forensic team is being constituted by the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Disaster Coordinating Council and would be deployed as soon as possible.  END.