The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has placed Myanmar under Alert Level 4 due to the worsening 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) situation in the country.
Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Eduardo Kapunan Jr. said on Thursday, July 22, that medical experts in the country already described the COVID-19 situation as 'catastrophic'.
"Ang kadahilanan rito ay dahil ang medical facilities that are adopt to COVID-19, ang kanilang pag-response is so inadequate kasi nga medyo binabaha na sila ng mga pasyente," Kapunan explained during the Laging Handa press briefing.
Kapunan particularly mentioned that Myanmar particularly lacks a supply of oxygen for the COVID-19 patients.
"Iyong oxygen for respirator medyo almost ano na, zero na or back to zero. Ang ibig sabihin nito ang mga tinatamaan ng COVID ay hindi na, iniiwasan na maging personal na supply ng oxygen," the ambassador said.
Kapunan expects that the COVID-19 situation in Myanmar will reach its peak within two to three weeks.
DFA urges all Filipinos in Myanmar to return to the Philippines, but Kapunan said that, so far, only 59 individuals availed the repatriation flight on August 3.
Kapunan also stressed that around 500 Filipinos stay in Myanmar but only 159 of them registered to the embassy.
The ambassador suspects that most Filipinos do not wish to volunteer for the repatriation since they do not have livelihood, and the uncertainty of when they can return to Myanmar.
"So, may nakikita kaming balanse na parang natatakot bumalik sa Pilipinas or nagdadalawang isip," Kapunan said.
"Ang kadahilanan po ay maganda ang kanilang trabaho sa Myanmar, maganda ang kanilang suweldo pagdating nila sa Pilipinas baka wala rin silang trabaho. So, makikipagsapalaran na lang po sila sa Myanmar," he added.
