Separation pay keeps some OFWs in Israel from returning to PH

Some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel are having a hard time deciding on coming home to the Philippines amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war due to their separation pays.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Abegail Villanueva, a caregiver, said she wants to go back to the Philippines but she is hoping to claim her separation pay first before leaving Israel.

“Gusto ko pong umuwi na kaya lang kasi iyong mga caregivers po dito, may tinatawag po kaming separation pay (I want to go home but we caregivers have this thing called separation pay),” she said.

“Kailangan po naming ayusin po iyon bago po kami umuwi. Kaya hindi po kami makapag-decide nang maayos kasi may inaasahan po kaming separation pay na makukuha,” she added.

(We need to work on it before we go home. That is why we cannot decide immediately because we are expecting to claim our separation pay.)

According to Villanueva, she wants to resign from her job in Israel because she cannot handle the violence anymore.

“Nato-trauma na po ako. Gabi-gabi pong hindi ako nakakatulog (I am already traumatized. I cannot sleep every night),” she said.

Villanueva evacuated after Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, attacked a police station near her area where many policemen were killed. In response, she said Israeli soldiers bombed the police station to get rid of the militants.

At least 22 Filipinos requested for repatriation from Israel, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). A first batch, composed of eight people, left Israel on October 16.

Alert Level 2 is currently raised over Israel, meaning restricted deployment of Filipinos.

Three Filipinos have been confirmed killed in the war between Israel and Hamas, while three others are missing, the DFA said.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, 92 Filipinos have requested repatriation. The DFA said it is coordinating with Israel and Egypt to open the Rafah Border Crossing and allow trapped Filipinos to exit Gaza.

Gaza is under Alert Level 4, which means mandatory evacuation of Filipinos.

Hamas militants carried out their deadliest attack in Israel's history on October 7, when gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns. Israel retaliated with air strikes on Gaza that have razed entire districts.

Authorities in Gaza said Israeli air strikes had killed more than 2,300 people, a quarter of them children. In Israel, meanwhile, Hamas gunmen reportedly killed 1,300 people. —KBK, GMA Integrated News