The Israeli government will provide lifelong financial and psychological support to the family of a Filipina caregiver who died after being struck by shrapnel in a missile attack, Israel’s ambassador to the Philippines has said.
Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh confirmed that monthly allowances and other forms of assistance are being arranged for the relatives of Mary Ann De Vera, an overseas Filipino worker who was killed amid continuing hostilities in the region. “There is a monthly allowance and there are other things that will be given to the family such as psychological and others,” Kursh said, noting that the full scope of the benefits package is still being processed.
De Vera’s death has drawn responses from both governments, with Israeli authorities also committing to facilitate the return of her remains to the Philippines. “The Israeli government is committed to facilitate in bringing the remains of Mary Ann to be reunited to the family and to try to bring a bit of ease to the family,” Kursh said.
On the question of safety for the tens of thousands of Filipinos still working in Israel, the ambassador said foreign workers receive equal access to the country’s emergency infrastructure. “We see everyone who is in Israel as part of Israel. They get the same access to shelter, the same mechanism of informing them that there is an alert message in English for them to understand,” Kursh said. Authorities noted that Israel operates an extensive network of bomb shelters and multilingual alert systems available to all residents, including migrant workers.
Coordination between Tel Aviv and Manila is ongoing, with the Israeli government in contact with the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine Embassy in Israel to monitor the welfare of Filipino nationals in the country.
