Israeli envoy pledges to support families of slain OFWs

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss pledged on Monday to the families of slain overseas Filipino workers in Israel that his government will provide them monthly financial assistance and various programs.

"My message to the family and the Philippine government, any casualty murdered in the terror act joins the big Israeli family of the victims of terror which means the Israeli govt will take care of the family and will continue to support the parents, the husbands, and the children for monthly income and different programs that we the government take responsibility because we the government understand what it means to sacrifice your life when your attacked by terrorists," Fluss said during the arrival of the fifth batch of repatriates from Israel.

Fluss stated the Israelis acknowledge the OFWs for risking their lives to protect their clients, their fellow Israelis.

"We see most OFWs in Israel are staying in Israel and not living because they are part of our families. They take care of our elderly, of our disabled they live with us in our homes and they take care of our most special ones. And for this we really appreciate them very much," Fluss said.

The Israeli Ambassador said that he visited the wake of one of the slain OFWs in Israel, Angelyn Aguirre.

"I want to say that my main message was our sympathy and condolences to the families that are left behind. They lost a member of the family, which is very difficult. My heart and sympathy are with them. Yesterday, I visited the wake of Angelyn Aguirre, and it was so important for me to talk to her family there and to hear the stories, and to connect to who Angelyn was and today to who Grace was. Because each one of them of the 14 hundred people who are murdered and each one of the four Filipinos who are murdered is not only a name, she is a human being, she is a person with a family, and it's important to connect to them," the Israeli ambassador added.

On 3 November, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Arnell Ignacio said that the Israeli government will be providing monthly financial assistance to the deceased OFWs ranging from P94,000 for life.

The Israeli ambassador, together with the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Foreign Affairs, and OWWA, received the fifth batch of repatriates including the remains of Grace Prodigo-Cabrera. About 23 Filipinos arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 via Etihad Airways flight EY 424 at 2:59 p.m.

The Department of Migrant Workers announced that the sixth batch of repatriates is expected to arrive later in the afternoon, consisting of 42 OFWs, including one infant.