Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro conducted a humanitarian mission in Myanmar on Thursday, meeting with Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Tin Maung Swe to discuss expanding assistance to affected and hard-to-reach areas.
The two officials also discussed the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Myanmar.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Lazaro’s program in Nay Pyi Taw included the symbolic handover of a reconstructed monastery in Pyinmana Township.
She also turned over religious robes and sacks of rice in recognition of Buddhist traditions and the monastery’s role as a place of worship and community gathering.
Lazaro also visited a prefabricated school building in Tha Pyay Pin Village, where she distributed school kits to children.
The two projects form part of the Philippines’ humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, delivered through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), to help rebuild communities affected by the 2025 earthquake.
Lazaro, who also serves as Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair, undertook the mission as the Philippines and Myanmar mark the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
“Over seven decades, friendly relations between the Philippines and Myanmar have grown not only through official exchanges, but also through people-to-people ties,” the DFA said.
The department added that the humanitarian mission builds on the longstanding relationship between the two countries while advancing the Philippines’ responsibilities as ASEAN Chair in 2026.
Following an earlier field visit to Taunggyi in Shan State, Lazaro is set to conclude her substantive engagements in Yangon through consultations with ASEAN embassies, the DFA said.