DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                 2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                               Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-922-05                                                                                                                                                                             14  January 2005

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY TASK FORCE, BANGKOK ASCERTAINS WHEREABOUTS
OF THREE FILIPINOS IN TSUNAMI AFFECTED AREAS, UPDATES LIST

14 January 2005 – The Philippine Embassy in Bangkok reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that its Task Force in Phuket has ascertained the status and physical condition of two  Filipinos earlier listed as missing and one Filipino whose whereabouts were unknown.

Ambassador Antonio v. Rodriguez informed the Department that:

        1.  Mr. Michael Galang, a Phuket-based fisherman, and Ms. Remedio Rico Daniel were removed from the list of missing Filipinos.   Consul Marshal Louis M. Alferez spoke with Mr. Galang on 12 January 2005 who assured that he and his companions remain safe at sea in their fishing boat.  Ms. Daniel has been properly accounted for by the Embassy in a report on 11 January 2005.

        2.  Ms. Jovita Gomez (a.k.a. Wijitra Charoenpong) was removed from the list of persons whose whereabouts were unknown.     Ms. Gomez, a teacher at Cholphinin Commercial College in Chonburi province, spoke with the Embassy Task Force on 12 January 2005 to confirm that she was not affected by the tsunami.

Ambassador Rodriquez also reported that of the six remaining tsunami victims with Filipino-sounding names, two, namely: Flona Gallan and Maria Novello, have been confirmed as Italians by the Krabi Hospital in Phuket.   The nationalities of the remaining four patients, namely, Carlos Barong, Giner Satello, Katrin Lorente and Major Tomas, have yet to be established.    Ambassador Rodriguez further reported that the Thai Government has no record yet of the nationality of four persons with Filipino-sound names, Eileen Chan, Sesilvia Bargoa, Feri Cornelia and Mary Tanagtong. (Pls. refer to press release SFA-AGR-910-05 of 11 January 2005.)

In the meantime, Ambassador Rodriquez said that the Embassy Task Force intends to recognize the courage and humanitarian acts of Mr. Ryndon Claver, an employee of Kata Thani Hotel, Kata Beach, Phuket.   The Ambassador said Mr. Claver volunteered to go back to his hotel at the height of the 26 December 2004 disaster to get food and drinking water for more than 100 hotel occupants stranded on a higher ground.   For his selfless act, the hotel management gave Mr. Claver a plaque of appreciation and cash, Ambassador Rodriquez said.

The Department issues an updated list of Filipinos affected by the tsunami.   Please refer to the separate press release. END
 

/jay