BACOLOD City – A missing Negrense overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has been identified as the third Filipino casualty in the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Israel.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega confirmed yesterday the death of 49-year-old Loreta Alacre, a resident of Barangay Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.
The confirmation came after Anabella Alacre, Loreta’s sister, stated that another sibling working as an OFW in Kuwait received a call from the Philippine Embassy in Israel about Loreta’s demise.
Anabella said Loreta succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, Oct. 12. Their sibling in Kuwait was able to positively identify the remains. However, the Alacre family remains uninformed about the events leading up to Loreta’s death.
Loreta, a caregiver based in Tel Aviv, had been employed in Israel for 15 years. Her employer, Noam Solomon, praised Loreta as a “dedicated caregiver for the past six years.”
Family Assured of Support
Undersecretary Hans Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) assured the Alacre family of assistance, especially concerning the repatriation of Loreta’s remains.
Additionally, Negros Occidental capitol’s Provincial Public Affairs head, Jose Maria Amugod whose office hosts the Migrant Resource Center (MRC) of the provincial government said Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has pledged support to the bereaved family.
“We will discuss the assistance that will be provided. Our Provincial Committee on Migration and Development, of which the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are members, will take action,” added Amugod.
Expressing solidarity, the Cadiz City Government conveyed its readiness to assist. Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. emphasized the need for coordination with the provincial government to streamline the aid for the grieving family.
Loreta had attended the ill-fated Tribe of Nova music festival near the Re’im kibbutz in southern Israel on Oct. 7, situated just six kilometers from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The tragic attack resulted in at least 260 casualties. It was earlier speculated that Loreta, along with several attendees, might have been abducted to the Gaza Strip.
Presently, over 30,000 Filipinos reside and work in Israel, with 137 in the Gaza Strip. Data from MRC indicates that more than 200 OFWs from Negros Occidental are employed in Israel.
On Wednesday, Oct. 12, the DFA elevated the alert level in the strife-ridden Gaza to 3. Undersecretary De Vega clarified that this implies that repatriation for Filipinos is now on a voluntary basis.
In response to the attacks, Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, aiming to neutralize the Hamas militants and potentially rescue the hostages. (Watchmen Daily Journal/PN)
