NEW YORK—A standing room only crowd attended an emotional memorial mass for victims of the killer quake in Haiti that took the lives of more than a hundred thousand people, including Filipinos who were there to serve as peacekeepers. Jerome Yap was the first Filipino casualty, after he was found lifeless amidst the rubble of the collapsed UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince after a five-day search that ended Monday evening. He was the Executive Assistant to Luis Carlos da Costa, the deputy special representative of the UN Secretary General. Da Costa and several other UN officials were also killed in the quake.
The following day, two members of the 10th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent—Petty Officer 3 Pearlie Panangui and Sgt. Eustacio Bermudez, Jr.—were found in the rubble.
"The Haitian people are suffering and so is the rest of the world. Let us all pray for the victims and their families, and that we keep the faith and we continue to hope and love," Ambassador Hilario Davide, Jr. told the audience.
"I cannot imagine how difficult it is for people who are suffering and for people who lost their loved ones there. Jerome died not for himself but for the love of humanity and love of God," Davide added.
Yap’s relatives, including his sister Marnie Yap, were in attendance during the memorial mass.
"We’re going to bring him home to Pampanga. We have to accompany our brother back home," Yap told the media, holding back tears.
Yap said she wasn’t surprised at the outpouring of support friends and relatives.
"He has a lot of friends, everywhere he goes so I am not surprised that they are all here tonight. I was telling my siblings and some of his friends that I tried to stay angry with him because he left us but I can’t because all I have are good memories, I don’t have any bad memories of him at all. He’s always smiling. He loves to sing, he sings so well," she added.
Ms. Yap described her brother as "very supportive and very strong." The two lived together here in New York, back when Jerome was still working at the UN headquarters.
Donna-Marie Chiurazzi-Maxfield, chief of staff of the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations also delivered a tearful and emotional eulogy.
"Jerome was someone who inspired us at the UN for 20 years. He was vibrant and he profoundly loved to touch the lives of people," Ms. Chiurazzi-Maxfield said she stifled tears.
She also called on everyone in the room to celebrate the lives of Yap and everyone who perished in the killer quake.
"What happened in Haiti is beyond tragic but let us all remember the joy that Jerome and our other colleagues have brought to the many people that they have served," she added.
Ms. Yap appreciated the efforts made by the UN, particularly Maxfield’s speech.
"It was very, very touching. I know deep in my heart that Jerome is at peace. He’s okay, he’s not suffering. I can’t be sad. I know he’s there in heaven and he is singing with the choir of angels," Yap said.
( Published January 21, 2009 in Asian Journal Las Vegas p. A1 )
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
