PH government to repatriate remains of Pinoy killed in Turkey; 2 injured have recovered

Manila, Philippines – The remains of an overseas Filipino worker who perished in the deadly magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Türkiye will soon be repatriated, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Two Filipinos were killed in the quake that also hit Syria. They were among the more than 36,000 deaths reported from the killer quake as of Tuesday (Feb. 14)

Two other Filipinos were hurt but embassy officials said they have since recovered.

“As requested by the daughter and with consent of the husband, the embassy is arranging the immediate repatriation of the body of Wilma Abulad Tezcan, an OFW whose identity has been previously reported by the media,” the Philippine Embassy in Türkiye said on Saturday.

Meanwhile as for the other Filipino who died, the embassy said: “For our kababayan married to a Turkish national, her family is seeking consent from her husband regarding the treatment of her human remains.”

The embassy added that the 85-strong team of Philippine rescuers deployed to Türkiye had successfully evacuated four families from the city of Gaziantep, which is more than 200 kilometers from the previous operations in Antakya, Hatay.

The Turkish government will no longer accept a second contingent from the Philippines to help in the ongoing operations, the Office of Civil Defense said, noting that the “life-saving time” element in the said rescue operations has already lapsed, which means few alive victims may be rescued.

Meanwhile, some Filipinos who remained in Gaziantep, Türkiye willingly sacrificed the relief goods meant for themselves and distributed them to those in need, according to the embassy.

“For the brave Filipinos who chose to stay for their family and their homes, the embassy offered relief goods,” it said. “However, among these Filipinos in Gaziantep who chose to stay, some kindly suggested that the embassy give their share of the relief goods to those who need them the most. They said their situation was good and safe.”

Likewise, the embassy also said it will continue to accept information on Filipinos affected by the earthquake, which may be sent via phone and WhatsApp (+905345772344), via email at ankara.pe@dfa.gov.ph, or via Facebook.