No Pinoy hurt in cyclone that hit Myanmar - DFA

MANILA, Philippines- There is no Filipino casualty in Myanmar after a deadly cyclone swept across the country killing 100,000 people in its wake, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

According to Foreign Affairs spokesperson Claro Cristobal, Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Noel Cabrera reported that he has not received information that a Filipino was missing, injured or have died in the fierce storm that hit the South East Asian state Saturday.

“The ambassador said that our embassy in Yangon as well as the Filipino community leaders are reaching out to other Filipinos in the area. They are also checking the well-being of other Filipinos and they keep in touch with one another and so far, there are no Filipino casualties," Cristobal said.

Most of the 250 Filipino workers in Myanmar are based in the country’s capital, Yangon.

“The effort (to account for all Filipinos) is continuing as of the moment," Cristobal added.

On Tuesday, Association of South East Asian Nations Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan appealed to its members to send aid to Myanmar, who had also given the green light to the United Nations’ assistance.

Surin urged ASEAN government, non-government organizations and the civil society to respond “generously" to Myanmar’s plea.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar early Saturday until Sunday with winds reaching to 195 kilometers per hour and 12-foot waves.

Officials in Myanmar say more than 10,000 people were killed in the storm and that the death toll could soar. They say as many as 1 million people have been left homeless.

Surin said Asean was thinking of tapping into an 87,000 metric ton (95,900-US ton) emergency rice reserve it maintains under its own food security agreement.

ASEAN groups the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

The Philippine government is already discussing how it could provide assistance to the junta-ruled state.- with reports from AP, GMANews.TV

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