Hamas attack inside Israel territory was a sign for an OFW to go home

Pockets of attacks during her 10-year stay in Israel seemed to be normal for caregiver Jesyl Lucas but when hundreds of Hamas gunmen were able to penetrate on Oct. 7, that was the sign for her to go home.

“War has been part of the history of Israel but this was the first time that there were those who entered the (territory),” said Lucas when she arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 7.

Jesyl Lucas, a caregiver in israel for 10 years, recounts her experience during Hamas attack, which she said, made her decide to go back to the Philippines. (Photo: DMW)

The incident, she said, has prompted her to decide to avail of the repatriation of the national government through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Lucas was a caregiver for 10 years in Israel. She was among the sixth batch of Filipinos, composed of 42 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), that arrived in the country on Oct. 7.

Of the 42 OFWs who arrived on Tuesday, 34 of them are caregivers while the rest are hotel workers.

She said the attack not only frightened her but also her relatives here in the Philippines whom he said have been very worried since news of the Israel attack broke out.

A total of four Filipinos were confirmed to have died during the Hamas gunmen attack.

“For us there, the money we earn is no longer important. The most important thing now is our life, our safety,” said Lucas.

Another OFW, Santiago Badua, said he quit his work in the Philippine National Police for a job opportunity in Israel.

But after 17 years in Israel, he said he decided to go home and be with his family due to security issues.

A total of 184 overseas Filipino workers were already repatriated by the national government from Israel, including the 22 OFWs and an infant who arrived on Monday afternoon, Nov. 6.

DMW officer-in-charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they are expecting more Filipinos to go back to the Philippines in the coming weeks.

He said the national government, through the DFA and the DMW, is always ready to fly OFWs back to the Philippines.

“The DMW expects more returning OFWs as hostilities between Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas show no signs of toning down in the coming weeks,” said Cacdac.

Lucas, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the national government for ensuring their safety.

According to the DMW, it will also shoulder the travel expenses of the repatriated OFWs back to their hometowns.

The DMW also provided immediate financial assistance worth P50,000 to each OFW returning from Israel, along with comprehensive reintegration assistance and job facilitation services for other employment opportunities.

Aside from the financial assistance from the DMW, each OFW returnee also received P50,000 financial assistance from Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA; P20,000 livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare anmd Development (DSWD), and P5,000 from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)

The Department of Health, meanwhile, also provided medical assistance to all the OFW returnees.

— Aaron Recuenco with Ariel Fernandez 

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