Remains of OFW killed in Israel arrive home

MANILA, Philippines — Loreta Villaren Alacre, a 49-year-old Negrense caregiver killed in Israel, is finally home in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

It took almost two weeks for her remains to arrive in the country, after she was killed in an attack staged by Hamas militant fighters in Israel on Oct. 7. She was among the four Filipinos killed in Israel, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Alacre’s remains, which arrived at about 5:56 a.m. on Oct. 22 at the Bacolod-Silay International Airport, were fetched by her siblings and representatives of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and transported to a funeral parlor in Cadiz City.

In an interview at the Bacolod-Silay Airport, Lorena Alacre yesterday said that the remains of her sister were already bloated.

The remains of Loreta are now at a funeral parlor pending their transfer to her house in Sitio Camay-an in Brgy. Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City, on Oct. 23.

Lorena said their main concern now is how to finance the education of their nephews and nieces, which was being shouldered by Loreta when she was still alive.

Speaker Martin Romualdez has extended P500,000 in financial assistance to Alacre’s family, which was received by Loreta’s siblings last week.

Loreta is scheduled to be buried on Nov. 5 at a public cemetery in Brgy. Caduha-an, Cadiz City.

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante said they are now studying interventions on how to assist Loreta’s siblings, as six of them are dependent on her.

Asked if the Alacre family had any additional requests from the Cadiz City government, Escalante said they did not ask for anything.

“I think they have everything they need with the assistance they are getting from the national government,” he added.

OWWA has also put up a tarpaulin outside the house to express their sympathy to the bereaved family, while the city government of Cadiz repaired the road and placed lights going to Alacre’s house.

In a statement, OWWA said that Loreta was described by her Israeli employer as a “dedicated caregiver.”

OWWA–Western Visayas regional director Rizza Joy Moldes, DMW regional director Glenda Aligonza and engineer Jojo Amugod of the Migrant Resource Center also joined the Alacre family at the Bacolod-Silay Airport.

Prior to her death, Loreta came home to Cadiz City, Negros Occidental in 2017.