Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday said his department is ready to assist Filipino migrant workers who will be repatriated from Israel and Palestine due to the heightening conflict between the Israeli government and Hamas militants.

Gatchalian directed the Department's Operations Group led by Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez to coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers for the details of the Filipino workers who wanted to be repatriated from the conflict-torn southern Israel.

"Call Undersecretary Hans Cacdac of DMW and get the list of potential repatriated Pinoys from Israel. Then we prepare their Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation and Sustainable Livelihood Program," the DSWD chief ordered Usec. Romualdez of the Operations Group.

Based on her conversation with DMW Officer-in-Charge Usec. Hans Cacdac, Usec. Romualdez said an initial eight Filipino migrant workers have opted for voluntary repatriation and are scheduled to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport anytime next week.

The DSWD Operations Group is now preparing for the intervention on the eight Filipino migrant workers which is through the AICS and SLP programs of the Department.

The AICS is one of the social welfare services of the DSWD that provides medical assistance, burial, transportation, education, food, or financial assistance for other support services or needs of a person or family.

The SLP is a capability-building program of the DSWD that provides access to opportunities that increase the productivity of the livelihood assets of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized communities, in order to improve their socioeconomic well-being.

Under DSWD's Memorandum Circular No. 16 (Series of 2022), the maximum cash assistance given under AICS is Php10,000 while a maximum of three students per household can avail of the educational assistance.

Based on MC 16, the maximum educational assistance is Php5,000 for students in elementary and high school and Php10,000 for students in senior high school, college, and vocational courses.

For the SLP, which is the other intervention for repatriated overseas Filipino workers from Israel and Palestine, the maximum cash assistance is P15,000.

Usec. Romualdez earlier reported to Gatchalian that personnel from the DSWD Field Office 1 (Ilocos Region) were able to contact Ms. Erlinda Aguirre, mother of the Filipina nurse Angelyn, in her home in Binmaley, Pangasinan on Thursday (12 October).

Home visits and assessments were conducted by DSWD FO-1 Western Pangasinan satellite office personnel in Binmaley, Pangasinan. Social Welfare Office 2 Dean Arlu Javier provided food subsidy for the Aguirre family to help augment on their travel needs to Manila to pick up the cadaver of Angelyn, according to Usec. Romualdez.

Based on the report of FO-1 Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan, the transportation going to Pangasinan and to Manila will be provided by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

"Once the cadaver (of Angelyn Aguirre) has arrived in Pangasinan, we will provide burial assistance (under AICS) to the family," Director Gopalan said in her report to the DSWD Operations Group.

Director Gopalan said social workers from FO-1 will continue to provide the appropriate psychosocial intervention including counseling and stress debriefing as the Aguirre family members are still in shock and grieving the death of their loved one.

The 33-year-old Angelyn Aguirre and her Israeli elderly patient were killed by members of the militant Hamas group during the first wave of the attack last 7 October. The Filipina nurse died after staying with her patient despite a chance to run away for her safety.

On Wednesday (10 October), the DSWD Field Office 3 (Central Luzon) condoled and formally extended assistance to the family of Paul Vincent Castelvi, the other Filipino casualty in the October 7 Hamas attack.

There are some 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and 137 others live in the Gaza Strip, where the militant Hamas launched their attacks.