RP contingent in Haiti faces shortage of food and water

The 10th Philippine peacekeeping contingent in Haiti is facing a possible shortage in food and water supply even as three of their colleagues remain trapped inside a hotel after Tuesday's devastating earthquake in the Carribean country. Col. Gregorio Cayetano, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Peacekeeping head, said utilities remain down in Haiti, which was rocked by a magnitude 7.2-earthquake feared to have killed as many as 50,000 people. Cayetano hopes aid in the form of food and water will reach the contingent soon, as their supplies were badly affected by the cataclysmic earthquake. "The utilities are down, so we expect na ang kanilang food supply is affected, yung refrigeration ng kanilang food na dapat naka refrigerate, affected," Cayetano said in a television interview. "We expect they will really have some belt-tightening while at the same time doing their functions, kaya malaking sakripisyo ito (this is a huge sacrifice)," he added.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are 462 Filipinos in Haiti — 290 are civilians, while 172 are military and police peacekeepers, three of whom remain trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Christopher Hotel. Armed Forces information chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military has been steadily trying to contact the three peacekeepers, but communication has so far not been established. "We're still trying to rescue them," Brawner told GMANews.TV before Friday noon. The three trapped Filipino peacekeepers have been identified as Perly Tanagui of the Philippine Navy, Sgt. Jermis Arcena of the Philippine Air Force, and Sgt. Estacio Bermudez of the Philippine Army. On Thursday, Cpl. David Catacutan was rescued after being trapped in the Montana hotel since the earthquake rocked the country. Tanagi, Arcena and Bermudez, who all worked as clerks in various offices in the hotel's second floor, were believed to have been working overtime when the earthquake struck, according to Brawner.
View Bourdon, Port Au Prince in a larger map The Philippine military contingent was set to return to the Philippines in February, but their return was still uncertain pending discussions between the DFA and its foreign counterparts. [See: Why is there a Filipino peace-keeping force in Haiti?] President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered Philippine Ambassador to Cuba MacArthur Corsino to form a consular team to assist the rescue operations in the earthquake-ravaged country. Haiti is still reeling from the disaster. Bodies remain scattered on the capital Port-au-Prince’s streets, while civilians have started building makeshift shelters and sourcing food themselves. Other survivors fled as far as 1,000 kilometers from the capital, including crossing the border to the Dominican Republic, to seek medical help. A total of 17 United Nations personnel were found dead, while 50 remain missing. Several countries have already sent teams to assist the remaining UN peacekeepers, while relief goods and rescue workers have been sent from China, Taiwan, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States. - with reports from Jam Sisante, Nikka Corsino and Carmela Lapeña/RSJ, GMANews.TV