6 Pinoys who survived Haiti quake back in RP

Six Filipinos from earthquake-devastated Haiti, one of them wheelchair-bound, arrived home early Friday, with government officials on hand to welcome them. Radio dzBB's Manny Vargas reported that the six, who comprise the first batch of repatriated Filipinos, arrived before 6 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. Those who arrived were identified as Gregorio Bacurin, Donna Bacurin, Sonny Marlin, Rowena Cruz, Michaela Santos, and Rosario Santos. They arrived aboard a Philippine Airlines PR-103 flight from Los Angeles. A second batch of 18 is due to arrive Saturday. Officials are still finalizing the scheduled arrival of a third batch of about 40 Filipinos. They passed through the Dominican Republic and took connecting flights to Miami and Los Angeles before returning home.

Donna Bacurin, 43, was among those trapped in a building devastated by the quake. She said at least five Haitian co-workers died in the quake. "The building shook and I ran for cover under a table. It was too far for me to run," Bacurin said in Filipino in an interview. When asked if she plans to return to Haiti soon, she said: "Wala pa, di pa ako makadesisyon (Not yet, I have not decided)." Rosario Santos said she was lucky because she left a gas station crushed by the quake at the last minute. Her niece Michaela, 13, is a high school student. Government officials including those from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Social Welfare and Development welcomed the six. OWWA head Carmelita Dimzon assured the six of assistance in getting home, and help in getting livelihood. The Philippine National Red Cross and Department of Social Welfare and Development will also provide stress debriefing and psycho-social counseling for them, she added. "Alam natin ang traumatic experience na dinanas nila sa malakas na lindol sa Haiti at maraming aftershock na sumunod. Di madali sa kanila na kalimutan ito (We know they have been through a traumatic experience and they will not forget it)," Dimzon said in an earlier interview while waiting for the first batch to arrive. At the time of the killer quake last January 12, a total of 462 recorded Filipinos were in Haiti — 290 civilians and 172 military and police peacekeepers. Four Filipinos, three of them members of the RP peacekeeping contingent, were confirmed killed while two others, both civilians, remain unaccounted for. - RSJ, GMANews.TV