ILOILO City – A resident of Guimaras province was one of the two Filipinos confirmed to have died in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey on Monday.
The 61-year-old Rosemarie Ga Uzagan was a resident of Barangay Daragan, Buenavista town. She worked as a domestic helper in Antakya, the capital of Hatay province in Turkey.
“It is with deepest regret that the Embassy must inform the public of the passing of two Filipinos, both earlier reported to be missing in Antakya,” according to the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, in a statement released on Friday.
The embassy did not identify the two but the Ga family in Buenavista confirmed that Rosemarie, who was married to a Turkish national, was one of them.
“The Embassy and Consulate General express their deepest condolences and are in coordination with the victims’ families in both the Philippines and in Turkiye,” the Philippine embassy statement further read.
As of Friday, the death toll from the Turkey earthquake – which also hit neighboring Syria – soared to over 20,000 people.
At least 248 Filipinos in Turkey were affected, according to the embassy.
A nephew of Rosemarie, Pastor Winston Ga, said his aunt died at a Filipina friend’s house.
Rosemarie’s other Filipina friends in Turkey were the first to inform them about what happened to her, he added.
Rosemarie was helping out her friend as a side hustle “para makatipon sang kwarta kay gusto ya magpauli sa Pilipinas, ugaling kamahal sang plete,” said Ga.
Rosemarie’s friend’s house was located in a building that collapsed.
The Ga family in Buenavista was devastated, according to the pastor.
They learned that it was the first time for Rosemarie to spend the night at her friend’s house.
“Tiempo na gid man guro nga kuhaon sia. Wala ta man napaabot ang trahedya. Medyo budlay batunon kay malayo sia sa amon,” said Pastor Ga.
Rosemarie’s brothers David and Federico hoped her remains would be repatriated and they would seek help from the Philippine government although a repatriation, they said, may be difficult.
In Turkey which is a predominantly Muslim country, the dead is buried within 24 hours from expiration.
Rosemarie’s remains were recovered on Thursday, three days after Monday’s quake.
According to David and Federico, their family is worried. They got informed about a mass grave being prepared by local authorities in Antakya for the earthquake casualties.
Rosemarie’s last return to Guimaras was in 2019. Prior to landing a job in Turkey, she worked as a domestic helper in Singapore where she met and married her first husband, a Singaporean.
When she got widowed, Rosemarie returned to Guimaras.
She eventually got acquainted with a Turkish national whom she married and took her to Turkey. There, she again worked as a domestic helper. They have no children.
Pastor Ga said his aunt was loving and very helpful of her family in Guimaras.
Although the Gas aren’t sure that Rosemarie’s remains would be repatriated, they have decided to hold a necrological service for her on Feb. 19.
Pastor Ga said this would be held at the Daragan Terminal Baptist Church in Buenavista.
The service would celebrate the life of Rosemarie and honor her good deeds, he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed grief over the death of Rosemarie and the other Filipino in Turkey.
“It is with deep regret that we learn of the passing of two Filipinos in the recent 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated Türkiye,” Marcos said in a Twitter post.
The Philippine government will continue to monitor the latest developments, he added.
“The Philippine Embassy continues to work tirelessly to verify any and all information on Filipinos affected by the quake,” according to the President.
On Tuesday, Marcos said the Philippines would deploy an 85-man team to assist the quake victims in Türkiye and Syria.
The contingent, composed of Philippine military personnel, engineers, and health workers, already arrived and started Friday their mission to conduct search, rescue, relief and other assistance to the quake-hit areas./PN
