OFWs bade patients emotional goodbye

Two overseas Filipino workers on Wednesday shared their experiences in the ongoing conflict between Hamas militants and Israel after they arrived with 15 other repatriated Filipinos at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Kathleen Tolentino, of Tarlac, said her love and pity for her patient made her hesitant to leave Israel.

"My patient, who has dementia, was asleep during the bombing. His son told me to leave him alone because he had been through many wars. When I was about to leave, he noticed and told his son not to let me go because he was alone. When I said goodbye to my patient, he touched my face, and said, "God bless," and wished me to come back," Tolentino said.

She said she hopes to return to Israel and to be granted a tourist visa to visit her patient.

"I hope I can come back to Israel and try to visit, even just on a tourist visa, so that I can visit them," she said.

On the other hand, Myleene Rivera, of Pampanga, was trying to avoid her elderly patient not to show her how affected she was by her leaving her in Israel.

"When I bid farewell to her, she knew I was going to the Philippine embassy. I was trying to avoid her. Her son-in-law came down and explained that I have family in the Philippines worried for my safety. She cried, and it was so hard to leave her," Rivera said.

She said the kindness of the family she worked for was one of the reasons she was hesitant to leave Israel.

"It hurts me to leave her. They had been so kind since the day I started working for them. But later, she said she understood that I also had a family," she said.

The repatriated Filipinos shared their traumatic experiences during the attacks by the militants.

Mylene narrated how she and her patient evacuated to a bomb shelter.

"When I heard sirens and bombs, I woke my patient and looked for a bomb shelter. I was very nervous because I knew Hamas did not mind killing anyone, not even children. That's why my patient and I hid in a bomb shelter," she said.

Mylene said there was no water or food in the bomb shelter.

"I was so nervous. I messaged my family because there was no electricity, and my phone might get drained soon. I told my child that I loved him so much. I also told my husband to take care of our child. They even asked me if I was going to go home alive," she said.

She explained the challenges of escaping the danger zone.

"When I went out, I saw houses on fire and scattered dead bodies. One soldier told me to think that all I encountered never happened for me to gain the strength to cross up to the main gate. While crossing, I was stepping on the dead bodies. When we reached the gate, it was my first time seeing rockets launched," Mylene said.

The OFWs are under the care of the Department of Migrant Workers, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs, and other government agencies.

The 17 OFWs, including a one-month-old infant, arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 via Etihad Airlines at 3:55 p.m.

The repatriated OFWs were received by Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairman of the Committee on Migrant Workers, together with DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, and Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gachalian.

They received cash and livelihood assistance.

18 Cabalen home from Israel
Meanwhile, 18 Agricultural studies graduates from Pampanga have returned home safely from the war-wracked country of Israel.

Governor Dennis Pineda welcomed the Kapampangan agro studies graduates to the capitol building as Special Assistant to the Governor Angelina Blanco led the welcome ceremony.

The 18 returned to the Philippines on Tuesday afternoon after completing their 11-month agricultural training program under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Israel.

The 18 were training at the KFAR Silver Campus and the Ruppin Campus in Ashkelon City, some 15 kilometers from the Gaza Strip, where the war rages.

With Jonas Reyes