2 OFWs dead in Macao fire return in boxes

By Liezle BasaInigo

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — The remains of two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from this province who perished in a fire in Macau arrived last week.

Mr. Jon Jon Soliven, from the office of Pangasinan Sixth District Board Member Ranjit Shahani, confirmed that the bodies of the two Pangasinense OFWs were flown to Manila from Macau on separate flights Wednesday and Thursday.

“The two are undocumented workers in Macau, but with proper coordination with the consular office in Macau, the processing was quite swift,” said Soliven, adding that the assurance came from Philippine Consul General to Macau Antonio M. Allam.

Four people — two of them Paul Angelo Lita, 21, a native of Villasis, Pangasinan and Marites Natinos, from Umingan, Pangasinan — died in a fire that razed a boardinghouse in Macau in the second week of November.

Soliven said authorities have assured that there was no foul play.

“It’s sad because he (Lita) was scheduled to come home in December and celebrate Christmas with us,” one of Lita’s relatives said.