HK blaze victim’s remains now home

The remains of a Filipino domestic worker who died in a massive residential fire in Hong Kong last month arrived in the Philippines last Saturday night.

Authorities said that Maryan Pascual Esteban was among 159 people killed in the late-November blaze at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong.

According to Hong Kong authorities, Esteban was one of 10 foreign domestic workers who perished in the fire.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) confirmed the arrival of Esteban’s remains in a statement, expressing condolences to her family.

“The entire leadership of OWWA sincerely sympathizes with the loved ones of OFW Maryan Esteban,” the agency said. “In the midst of sadness and mourning, we want to convey that her family is not alone — OWWA and the Filipino nation are with you.”

Officials from OWWA, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the AGIMAT Partylist assisted with the processing of the remains at the airport.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac previously honored Esteban and another Filipina, Rhodora Alcaraz, as “modern-day heroines.” Alcaraz drew international praise for protecting her employer’s three-month-old baby during the fire.

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong reported on 2 December that all other Filipinos employed at the residential complex had been accounted for. Records show there were 235 foreign domestic helpers working at Wang Fuk Court at the time of the disaster.