Remains of two nurses arrive in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Anguish filled the Iloilo Airport yesterday as grieving family, relatives, and friends met the arrival of the caskets of two Ilonggo nurses who died in the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch City in New Zealand a month ago.

A Philippine Airlines flight landed at the city airport at 7 p.m., carrying the remains of Mary Louise Ann Amantillo, 23, of Balasan, Iloilo and Valquin Bensurto, 23, of Brgy. Cubay, Jaro, Iloilo City.

The two only left the country for work in New Zealand only early this year, but within a month a sudden twist of fate brought them back home in caskets.

Shortly after the plane landed, there was a mix-up when documents for Bensurto's remains were interchanged with that of another earthquake victim from Cebu.

However, Noel Chavez, welfare officer 3 of OWWA-Region 6, said one the papers got mixed up but not the bodies. The PAL office in Cebu readily assured that they would send the proper documents of Bensurto.

Since both Bensurto and Amantillo were just holders of student visas, the OWWA-6 would not provide any financial assistance to the families of the two, said Chavez, adding that financial aids are only given to overseas Filipino workers.

From the airport, their remains of the two Ilonggo nurses were brought to the Gegato-Abecia Funeral Homes at Jaro district in this city before they were transported to their respective homes.

Bensurto and Amantillo were among the 11 Filipinos who were first reported missing after the earthquake. While the search and retrieval operations were going on, Valquin's father Rodolfo and Amantillo's brother Alexander went to New Zealand.

Both victims graduated at St. Paul University Iloilo in 2008. As part of their requirements for getting jobs in New Zealand, they took English language review course at the King's Education language school in the CTV building, one of the worst-hit in February's earthquake.

The review class was in preparation for the English language exam, a prerequisite for the Competency Assessment Program (CAP).

Filipino nurses who wish to work in New Zealand must undergo and pass the CAP to get a New Zealand nursing registration.

Immediately after the earthquake, another Ilonggo nurse April Adit, who was flatmates of Valquin and Louise, narrated that she called Louise because she remembered her to be attending a class at CTV building.

Louise was still alive at the time and informed Adit that she was trapped in the rubbles, with Valquin beside her and he seemed to be dead. (FREEMAN)