'We're safe!' Haiti-based Pinoys tell kin via chance Internet link

Amid the rubble, some Filipinos in Haiti were still able to get in touch with their families in the Philippines to let them know of their safe if precarious situation. As aired over the GMA7 late-night newscast Saksi, a number of Filipinos languishing in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating Wednesday earthquake were able to connect to the Internet and talk to their loved ones here. “Sa mga kamag-anak ko sa Pilipinas, hinihingi ko lang po ang dasal niyo (To my relatives in the Philippines, just please pray for me)," Joan Ramirez said in between heart-rending sobs as she talked to her family. A weeping Rosalyn Fabian similarly recounted their condition on the streets of Haiti. “Hirap na hirap na kami dito. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa nakikita ang kapatid ko (We are in a very difficult situation here. Up to now, my sister has not yet been found)," she recounted.
Generator among the street rubble The distressed Filipinos chanced upon a generator on the streets of Haiti and were able to connect to the Internet. Communication to the Caribbean country remains sporadic only through satellite phones, as power has yet to be restored. “Ang kinatatakutan namin dito, after ng earthquake, maaaring magkaroon ng gulo, gutom (What we’re fearing here after the earthquake is that there might be chaos, hunger)," another Filipino said in an Internet conversation with his family. Jovita Cornejo, meanwhile, is still thankful that she was able to talk to some of her relatives, although three others remain missing. “Sana ligtas sila, makauwi pa sila, makabalik pa rito sa amin (I hope they’re safe, and that they will still be able to come back here)," she told GMA News reporter Susan Enriquez in the newscast. John Granada was likewise able to talk to her mother and sister in Haiti, but he still fears for their safety as they were reportedly staying on the streets. “’Yung mga Pilipino doon, nagsama-sama. ‘Yung bahay nina ate dun, may crack na kaya sama-sama sila sa kalsada (The Filipinos there banded together. My sister’s house sustained cracks, so they went with the other Filipinos on the streets)," Inquiries from kin back home As this developed, a number of Filipinos here sent messages to GMANews.TV asking for help in locating their missing relatives in Haiti. A resident of Muntinlupa said his brother is working for a cable company in Haiti and they have yet to hear from him. Another said her aunt is also in Haiti and they have likewise yet to confirm her condition. GMANews.TV staff called the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) hotlines and tried to verify if the names given by concerned relatives are on its list, but were told that the missing Filipinos’ kin should directly call the Red Cross headquarters. The Department of Foreign Affairs, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNRC have created hotlines which families of Haiti-based Filipinos could call for information on their relatives. [See: RP government, PNRC hotlines for info on Pinoys in Haiti] – JV, GMANews.TV