MANILA - The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said the remains found by the Japanese Coast Guard last Sept. 4 has been confirmed to belong to a Filipino seafarer.

In a statement, the DFA said the body found by the Japanese Coast Guard last Friday has been confirmed to be of Filipino nationality. The body was identified by the family of the deceased.

The DFA also said the Japanese Coast Guard did not find any remains or survivor during Monday's search.

They only found an empty life raft on a sandy beach.

"The Philippine government remains steadfast in providing full support to our Filipino seafarers and their families as our foreign service posts and POLO in Japan continue to monitor and coordinate the situation with the Japanese authorities," the DFA said.

As of Saturday, two Filipino survivors from the cargo ship that sank off Japan amid a storm last week have contacted their families in the Philippines.

• 2 Pinoy survivors from sea mishap off Japan now in contact with families; several still missing

The sunken ship's crew was made up of 39 Filipinos, 2 New Zealanders and 2 Australians. The boat was traveling from Napier in New Zealand to the Chinese port of Tangshan.

It issued a distress call early Wednesday as Typhoon Maysak passed through the area, setting off a desperate search for the 43 crew on board.

- With a report from Agence France-Presse