The Israeli government will provide pensions and other benefits to the families of the Negrense caregiver and three other overseas Filipino workers (OWs) recently killed in attacks by Hamas militants, its Consul Moti Cohen assured on Thursday, October 26.
Cohen delivered a letter from Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss to the family of Alacre at her home in Barangay Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, Thursday morning.
Israel has a law that grants compensation and benefits to the families of victims of hostile actions, he said. The family of Alacre and the other OFWs killed in Israel will be given the same benefits granted to Israeli citizens, Cohen said.
Alacre, 49, was the breadwinner of her family. She has seven siblings and 11 nieces and nephew, four of whom she was sending to college.
“Lore was the family breadwinner and she continues to do so even in death” with the pension from the Israeli government, Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante said.
The Israeli ambassador, in his letter, said “we would like to express our deepest sympathy and condolences for the loss of Ms. Loreta who was murdered by the Hamas terrorists on October 7.”
Unfortunately she joined the big Israeli family of victims of terror, he said.
The ambassador told the Alacre family that they are entitled to financial and other assistance from the Israeli government.
The Embassy of Israel will assist them in availing of such benefits from the Israel Social Security Institute, Fluss said.
Cohen said aside from visiting the family to express the condolences of the Israeli people, he informed them of the assistance due them.
He said other OFWs in Israel are safe and don’t want to come home.
“They are feeling safe and want to stay. They are getting very good treatment over there,” he assured.
He is hoping the war ends soon, Cohen said.
Cohen said the Alacre family was the first that they visited as the remains of the other slain OFWs have yet to arrive.
The Cadiz mayor said the visit of the Israeli consul to the Alacre family was very heartwarming and it means a lot.
It shows that they treat Filipinos in Israel the same way they care for their own citizens, unlike in some other countries were OFWs are treated like second or third class citizens, Escalante said.
The mayor called on Cadiznons to pray for peace in Israel.
Alacre will be buried at the Caduha-an cemetery in Cadiz City on November 5.
The Loreta V. Alacre Evacuation Center at the Cadiz Viejo National High School will also be unveiled on November 5 in honor of the heroism of the Cadiz OFW, the mayor said.
She worked as an OFW for 19 years in Taiwan and Israel.*