MANILA, Philippines - The 4 Filipinos who died in a powerful earthquake in Haiti were given a hero’s welcome by the country’s security forces at Villamor Airbase on Tuesday morning.

The bodies of Air Force Sgt. Janice Arocena, Navy Data Processor 3 Pearly Panangui, Army Sgt. Eustacio Bermudez and United Nations Executive Assistance Jerome Yap arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 from Los Angeles.

Arocena, Panangui and Bermudez were members of the 10th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent to Haiti.

President Arroyo and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo attended the ceremony.

From Villamor Airbase, Lt. Col. Edgar Arevalo, public information officer of the Philippine Navy, said the remains of Arocena, Panangui and Bermudez will be brought to the St. Ignatius Chapel in Camp Aguinaldo. The bodies will then be transferred to their units before they are brought home to their respective provinces.

According to radio dzMM reporter Jon Ibanez, Yap’s remains will go straight to his hometown in Pampanga.

Three batches of Filipino survivors of the devastating earthquake have arrived in the Philippines.

A total of 41 more Filipinos are set to arrive on Wednesday to complete the total number of repatriates from the quake-ravaged country. With radio dzMM