The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Tuesday morning the death of one Filipino in the strong earthquake that struck Haiti.

According to a statement released on January 19, 2010, the remains of Mr. Jerome Yap have been recovered at 5:15 a.m. (Haiti time).

Mr. Yap is a United Nations staff member serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

His remains were recovered by search and rescue teams amid the rubble of the MINUSTAH headquarters several hours after the bodies of the special representative of the UN Secretary General, Hedi Annabi, and several others were pulled out of the ruins.

Mr. Yap, who was from Pampanga, served as Executive Assistant to Luis Carlos da Costa, the deputy special representative of the UN Secretary General, who was also killed in the collapsed building.

The Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York conveyed the sad news of the recovery of Mr. Yap’s remains to his family in New York and Pampanga immediately after it was informed by Lieutenant Colonel Lope C. Dagoy, Commander of the 10th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent.

The Philippine Mission is assisting in coordinating with the UN Secretariat arrangements for the repatriation of Mr. Yap’s remains to the Philippines.