MANILA, Philippines - The Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, in her capacity as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, will lead an ASEAN Monitoring Team (AMT) Mission, in coordination with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), to support the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected and displaced communities in Myanmar, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Wednesday.
The mission will take place in designated sights in Taunggyi, Southern Shan State today and will kickstart the month-long distribution of humanitarian support to communities in Kayin State, Southern Shan State, and Northern Shan State, focusing on areas not previously reached by the AHA Centre, according to the DFA.
“As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines has placed humanitarian assistance among its priorities on Myanmar,” the DFA said in a statement.
“This humanitarian mission forms part of Secretary Lazaro’s regional engagements that bring together several Myanmar stakeholders including Myanmar authorities, representatives of ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners, and humanitarian actors in Myanmar,” the DFA added.
The DFA also mentioned that the operation is expected to reach more than 11,000 households and will be receiving 50-kgs bags of rice, family kits, and personal hygiene kits. The Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) is the AHA Centre’s implementing partner.
Secretary Lazaro will also lead the symbolic handover of a religious building, as well as distribution of school kits to pre-fabricated buildings, built through contributions from the Philippines, following the devastating 2025 earthquake in the country, the DFA said.
Aung San Suu Kyi meeting
When asked by reporters if Lazaro will meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the DFA said that it does not have details if there will be such a meeting.
“No details on such a meeting,” ASEAN Spokesperson and DFA Assistant Secretary Dax Imperial said.
“For now, what we have is the humanitarian mission in Shan State and engagements in Nay Pyi Taw,” Imperial added.
As chairman of ASEAN in 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. designated Lazaro as ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar, with the task to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Myanmar political crisis.
Aung San Suu Kyi, known as the de facto leader of Myanmar from 2016, was overthrown by a military coup in February 2021. She was detained by the ruling military junta due to combined prison sentences brought about by numerous motivated charges.
The military junta commuted her sentence to house arrest in Nay Pyi Taw, where she remains heavily isolated.
As ASEAN chair, the Philippines reaffirms the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus (5PC), a peace plan adopted by the leaders of ASEAN on April 24, 2021, to help resolve the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, according to the ASEAN official website.
Part of the consensus or key commitments is "Special Envoy visits" to facilitate stakeholder meetings in Myanmar.
