Remains of 3 Filipinos killed in NZ quake arrive home

The remains of Filipinos who died in February's magnitude-6.3 quake in New Zealand have begun arriving in the Philippines. As of Sunday, the remains of three of the fatalities arrived in the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. “First to arrive were the remains of Jewel Francisco and Erica Nora, who arrived in Manila via Singapore Airlines on March 18. Meanwhile, the remains of Ivy Jane Cabunillas arrived (Sunday)," the DFA said in a news release on its website Sunday night. A group from the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) welcomed the remains and their families at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and extended airport courtesies to them. On the other hand, a team from the DFA's regional consular office in Cebu was also present to provide assistance to the Cebu-based families. The DFA-OUMWA and a team from the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, are assisting the families of the Filipinos whose remains were already confirmed and of those who remain missing. “Arrangements were made to have the relatives of the Filipinos go to New Zealand to help in the identification of some of the fatalities. The DFA-OUMWA coordinated with the New Zealand Embassy in Manila for the visas, expediting the release of their passports and other requirements for the relatives' trip," the DFA said. New Zealand police have identified so far eight Filipino fatalities in the quake, with at least three more still missing. The other confirmed Filipino fatalities were: