Filipina dies in car crash in Cayman Islands

A 24-year-old Filipina died in a car collision in Cayman Islands past midnight on August 3, the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. confirmed. Welfare officer Alberto Duero identified the victim as Feder Ann Faustino, whose car collided with another car along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway in Cayman Islands around 12:30 a.m. Faustino was onboard a Honda Civic with a still unidentified person when their car collided with a Toyota Prada, according to a separate article on the news site Cayman 27. Duero said Faustino sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead on arrival at Johnson Hospital. While the Embassy awaits the police report for further details, it is likewise getting in touch with her relatives in the Philippines if any, Duero said. Faustino is also believed to have relatives in Cayman Islands, located in the western Caribbean Sea some 2,700 miles away from Washington D.C. Duero added an autopsy report is already being prepared and that Faustino’s body has already been released by the hospital to a funeral home. “The Philippine Embassy will assist in the repatriation of Faustino’s remains, and we are now coordinating with a local Filipino leader to represent us to the funeral home for the release of her body," Duero explained. He said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will shoulder the repatriation cost of Faustino’s remains, whether she is a member or not, in case she does not have an employer. Duero said most of the Filipino workers in the British territory hold managerial or supervisorial positions mostly in jewelry stores. As of 2009, there are a little over 1,000 Filipino workers in Cayman Islands based on records from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV