OFW remains to arrive after cadaver mix-up

The remains of Jenny Sanchez Alvarado, a Kuwait-based overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whose body was mistakenly switched with her Nepali co-worker, are expected to arrive in the Philippines this week.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac confirmed the incident, saying the agency had worked to expedite the repatriation of Alvarado’s remains. He added that the mix-up occurred when a private shipping service provider incorrectly identified another cadaver under Alvarado’s name.

“I tasked the lawyers on the ground, through our labor attaché, to carefully study the matter, including possible liabilities. I’m currently awaiting their full report,” the DMW secretary stated.

He added that Alvarado’s remains are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, and her family will be provided with the police and autopsy reports.

Alvarado was among three domestic workers who died on 2 January from coal suffocation after inhaling smoke from a heating system. Her remains were initially repatriated on 10 January, but her family discovered at the funeral home that the body in the casket was not hers.

Meanwhile, the deployment ban for Kuwait is still under careful study, according to Cacdac.