Another death brings to 3 Pinoy fatalities in Turkey quake

A FILIPINA and her 3 children earlier reported as “missing” were among the latest casualties in the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and its neighbor Syria, putting the death toll of Filipinos at 3 even as the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) announced that the 82-man contingent the country sent to help in the search and recovery effort are expected to return home by next month.

“It is with deepest regret that the Embassy must confirm the passing of a Filipina housewife and her three children, previously reported missing under the rubble in Antakya.

“She and her children have been laid to rest by her Turkish husband, in accordance with Turkish tradition,” reads the statement of the Philippine Embassy based in Ankara, on Sunday, February 19, 2023. The names of the deceased were not released.

After the Magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck last February 6, 2023, embassy officials said two Filipinos were killed, also in the Antakya district, one of them being identified as ‘Wilma Tezcan.’

To date, the Embassy also reported that it is currently hosting more than 20 families in its shelter, with over 70 individuals composed of overseas Filipinos, children, Turkish spouses and senior citizens.

They have also met more than 70 Filipinos who have decided to remain in their homes in the provinces in Turkey.

“The Embassy is accelerating its actions towards the repatriation of all qualified Filipino citizens who desire to return to the Philippines,” it said.

Meanwhile, the 82-member ‘Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent’ organized thru the OCD and sent to Turkey last February 9, 2023, to participate in the global effort to help and rescue the victims, would be ending their mission by February 24, 2023 and then return home by March 1, 2023.

The latest figures available have placed the death toll at more than 42,000 in both Turkey and Syria.

In a statement prior to their departure, OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno expressed confidence in what the contingent can accomplish. “The Philippine Contingent remains dedicated and ready for their mission to help the People of Turkiye and all the victims of this tragic earthquake, despite all the challenges they met since they left the Philippines and the harsh and extreme weather they will experience,” he said.

OCD spokesperson and assistant secretary Bernardo ‘Raffy’ Alejandro said the decision to pull back the Philippine contingent was made after it was determined that the possibility of finding more survivors has dimmed.

“Due to decrease in chance of finding signs of life and rescue survivors, the Usar (urban search and rescue) team of PIAHC was earlier placed on standby awaiting requests for assistance on retrieval operations from the Turkish Local Emergency Management Authorities,” the official said.