The remains of one of the two Filipina nurses who died in a road accident in Australia were finally returned to the Philippines, last Saturday, June 15, nearly a month after the tragedy.
The OFW who was identified as Sheena Katrina Landagan was with a compatriot when the two of them died in a car accident on Saturday, May 26.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the two were on their way to Melbourne to attend a religious event when the incident happened.
DFA said the identity of the two victims, who were very active in the Filipino community in Australia, have been identified but the Philippine Embassy in Canberra initially refused to reveal their names.
In the car ride with the two Filipinas were the husband of one of the nurses, three children, and one of their relatives. All five sustained injuries due to the crash.
Three weeks after the incident, Landagan’s remains were returned to the country, reported ABS-CBN.
Zeny Landagan, the mother of the victim, said that there was a 2-week delay with the return of her daughter’s remains because they failed to receive any help from the government even though they promised that they will help.
The older Landagan added that it was her daughter’s employers who shouldered the expenses to bring her body home.
However, DFA said that they had to investigate the incident and Landagan’s death which caused the delay.
“As we stand with them in their time of grief, we in the Department of Foreign Affairs would like to reassure Sheena’s loved ones that we remain ready to assist them the way the Philippine Embassy in Canberra and the Consulate General in Sydney assisted by working closely with her employer, the Calvary Hospital in Canberra, in bringing her home and reuniting her with her loved ones in the Philippines,” DFA said in a statement.
