30 December 2004 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo conveyed his sympathy and condolences to the  family of Ms. Sharleen May Ang Tan, the 19 year old student who is the first confirmed  Filipino casualty of the devastating tsunami that hit the resort province of Phuket, Thailand on Sunday, 26 December 2004.

Philippine Ambassador to Bangkok Antonio V. Rodriquez confirmed in a report to Secretary Romulo the positive identification of the body of Sharleen May by her sisters Beverly Ang Tan, 20 years old, and Iris Krisselle Tan, 15 years old, at the Patong Hospital in Phuket.   Their mother, Rosemarie Phi King Ang Tang, survived the tsunami and is recuperating from injuries at the Patong Hospital.     Rosemarie was in Phuket with her family.  According to Ambassador Rodriguez, Rosemarie’s husband, David Tan, who holds a British National Overseas (BNO) passport, and daughter Sharleen May, are confirmed dead while her daughters Iris Kriselle and Daphne Meryll, who also hold BNO passports, are survivors.

“May I convey my heartfelt condolences to  the Tan family at this very difficult time, my fervent prayers go to their beloved daughter Sharleen May and father David,” Secretary Romulo said as he instructed Ambassador Rodriquez to further strengthen the consular team in Phuket in order to speed up the delivery of services to the Filipinos affected by the tsunami.

Pursuant to the Secretary’s instructions, Ambassador Rodriquez sent Consul Stephanie Beatriz O. Valera to Phuket  to join Mr. Angel Cayabyab and Mr. Jasper Revilla, who earlier flew to the disaster area.   The 3-member Philippine Consular Team in Phuket will assist Filipinos affected by the tsunami with, among other services, the issuance of passports or travel documents or their request for repatriation to the Philippines.  The Consular Team will speed up the determination of the condition of Filipinos in Phuket following the disaster and update the Embassy in Bangkok and the Department in Manila on the list of casualties.

Based on the reports from the Embassy and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department issues the following casualty list:

The OWWA informed the Department that two OFWs, who were earlier reported as missing, are now accounted for as alive and safe.   OWWA said that it was able to contact Jerwin Sedillo, an entertainer working at the Royal Paradise Hotel at the Patong Beach Resort in Phuket, and Joselito Balbutin, a Filipino seaman, who advised their relatives not to worry as they are safe.

The Embassy also reported that it assisted sisters Ms. Catherine and Pilar M. Prieto and couple Marco A. Sangil and Virginia P. Cruz, all survivors of the tsunami, with their travel documents including airline tickets.  They are scheduled to arrive at NAIA on 30 December 2004 at 1820h aboard PR 731.

Meanwhile, Secretary Romulo announced that the Philippines would be sending a forensic team to Phuket to assist Thai authorities in the recovery and documentation of the bodies that are awaiting verification by their relatives.   Thai authorities wish to provide a proper and respectful burial for the bodies that may not be claimed immediately by relatives and the assistance of the forensic team would facilitate the documentation of the remains before burial.     The Secretary said that the Philippine forensic team is being organized and will be dispatched to Phuket as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the Department reiterates its appeal to concerned relatives for their assistance in verifying the identifies of 16 Filipino-sounding names of casualties in Phuket, namely:

1. Andees Barona (New)
2. Barrera Juan (Previously listed by Thai gov’t as “Barrera Jann)
3. Carlos Barong (Previously listed by Thai gov’t as Curlos Barong)
4. Eileen Chan (New)
5. Sesilvia Bargoa (As previously identified)
6. Flona Gallan (As previously identified)
7. Feri Cornelia (As previously identified)
8. Giner Salello (New)
9. Giovanni Cabrera (New)
10. Ilse Panaino (New)
11. Katrin Lorente (New)
12. Major Tomas (As previously identified)
13. Maria Novello (New)
14. Mariana Barona (New)
15. Mary Tanagtong (As previously identified)
16. Sevrine Patruno (Previously listed by Thai gov’t as Sevrine Pairuno)

The relatives, if any, of the persons above-listed are requested to call Ms. Sheila Solas of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs at telephone number 8344594.  For the New Year holidays and during the weekends, however, calls may be directed to the DFA Action Center at telephone number 8343333, and revert back to Ms. Solas when work resumes after the holiday break on 03 January 2005.  (Pls. refer to DFA press release of 29 December 2004.)

According to the Thai Interior Ministry, the bodies of the above-listed casualties are being preserved and are awaiting final verification of identity.END