ILOILO – Ilongga overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Grace Prodigo-Cabrera chose to be taken away by the Hamas terrorists to save the 80-year-old Israeli woman under her care. She became the fourth Filipino casualty in the Israel-Hamas conflict, meeting her untimely end on Oct. 7.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 6 confirmed the news to the Prodigo family in Barangay Burak, Maasin town on Thursday, Oct. 19.
The 45-year-old Grace had been employed as a caregiver in Kibbutz Be’eri, Israel, for over five years.
OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio reached out to Grace’s mother, Paterna Prodigo, aged 72, to deliver the heartbreaking news. He assured the family of governmental support and committed to repatriating Grace’s remains.
Paterna told Panay News that her daughter’s body was recovered in the Gaza Strip with a gunshot wound.
The remains were identified by matching a fingerprint to that on her passport.
‘Angel’ Grace
Paterna revealed that the family of the elderly woman under Grace’s care deemed her an “angel.”
“Amo to gani ang post sang bata sang alaga ya nga angel kuno si Grace para kay nanay na,” Paterna said.
She recounted that on the day Hamas attacked Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct. 7, as Grace and the elderly woman were indoors, a knock came at their door. Grace answered, believing she might recognize the visitor or that someone required assistance.
“Si Grace tana nga ran siguro ginkatok sanda to amo ran nabuksan tanda, pagpanawag siguro ginbuksan ya,” said Paterna.
Tragically, Hamas terrorists invaded the residence, brandishing weapons at them.
“Ginpapili gani to sia kon mapabilin sa alaga na nga ran ukon magsunod sa mga armado nga tawo nga to. Ti, ginpili na nga magsunod kay kon magpabilin sia sa alaga ya nga to patyon man gihapon sanda. Ti, amo to ang ginpili ya lang nga masunod tuya eh para maluwas ang alaga ya,” Paterna elaborated.
Mary June, Grace’s younger sibling, also a caregiver in Kibbutz Be’eri, experienced terrorists attempting to breach her employer’s door, but they were unsuccessful.
“Waay tana kay waay sanda makagwa sang iya alaga. Ginabulya na ang puertahan pero waay gid sanda naggwa. Indi sila maka-abri, ang maka-abri lang kato amo sa sulod,” Paterna said.
She noted that both residences where her daughters resided were located within the same section of the kibbutz.
‘They Should Have Spared My Daughter’
Tears streaming, Paterna voiced her despair and fury toward the Hamas militants.
“She traveled to Israel to support our family, lifting us from poverty. But no one anticipated such a tragic end to her journey,” she lamented.
“They should’ve spared my daughter. She was purely there to work, not to partake in any conflict. Innocents like her should’ve been left unharmed,” the distraught mother expressed further.
According to Paterna, Grace was a kind-hearted and diligent daughter.
“Buot tana ang kabataan ko. Waay gid tanda ka ran kuon nga nagapakasala, waay gid, mabuot ang kabataan ko,” Paterna said.
From a young age, Grace had been assisting her family, working for her school allowance. She would accompany her mother to forests, searching for vegetables to sell at the Iloilo Terminal Market.
Her decision to work overseas was kept a secret until she had gathered all the necessary documentation. Prior to Israel, her employment was in Hong Kong.
Family Seeks Assistance
The Prodigo family has pleaded with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to expedite the repatriation of Grace’s remains to Maasin.
This would allow local relatives a chance to say their final goodbyes before her body is transported to Pampanga, where her husband and only child reside.
“Nagapanawagan ako nga mabuligan akon bata nga mapadali nga mauli eh, nga madala ang ana bangkay pauli,” Paterna conveyed.
She expressed concerns about affordability, saying that if Grace’s body is directly sent to Pampanga, their relatives in Maasin might not have the means to travel there.
“Amo ran hambal ka pakaisa ya kaina nga kon puede maayo nga ihapit anay diri kay kon tuya ran indi kasarang sang plete sa Pampanga,” Paterna explained.
Grace was married to a resident of Pampanga.
Furthermore, the family hopes for financial support for the education of Grace’s child, currently a high school student./PN
