The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday (Oct. 12) condoled and formally extended assistance to the family of a Filipino migrant worker who was among the two Pinoy casualties in the October 7 attack of Hamas militants along the border of Gaza and southern Israel.

In a report to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Undersecretary for Operations Group Pinky Romualdez said officials and personnel of DSWD Field Office 3 (Central Luzon) have reached out to the family of 42-year-old Paul Vincent Castelvi who are residing in Pampanga.

Field Office 3 Regional Director Venus Rebuldela directed Officer-in-Charge (OIC)-Assistant Regional Director for Operations (ARDO) Armont C. Pecina together with the community-based social workers to visit the family of Paul Vincent in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

“ARDO Pecina together with the social workers immediately visited the family of Mr. Paul Vincent Castelvi in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga to express our sympathy to the bereaved family. The team has provided through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program financial assistance amounting to Php 10,000,” Regional Director Rebuldela said in her report to Usec. Romualdez.

The FO-3 regional director advised the parents of the deceased that the DSWD will also provide burial assistance to the family once the transfer of the remains of Paul Vincent to the Philippines is completed, according to Usec. Romualdez.

“The family members were also informed that they will be referred to projects under the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to help them in their livelihood since Paul Vincent is the breadwinner of the family,” Usec Romualdez said in her report to the DSWD chief.

The undersecretary for Operations Group said the FO-3 community-based social workers will remain in contact with the family members to continuously provide psychosocial support in the time of bereavement of the family.

“The FO-3 also committed to monitor the repatriation of the wife of Paul Vincent who is currently 8 months pregnant and has expressed the desire to return home to the Philippines along with the remains of her husband,” Usec. Romualdez said.

“Rest assured that the DSWD FO-3 will be delivering the necessary support to the family of the deceased in order to alleviate the impact of this unfortunate event to their family,” Usec Romualdez added.

Secretary Gatchalian has earlier directed the DSWD Operations Group to locate the families of the two Filipinos who were killed in the ongoing conflict in Israel so the Department can extend the necessary assistance to them.

The DSWD chief directed Undersecretary Romualdez to get in touch with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and get the details of the families of the two Filipino migrant workers who were killed when the militant Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern areas of Israel last Saturday (Oct. 7).

Secretary Gatchalian noted that no amount of money can relieve the sufferings of the families who lost their loved ones in the Hamas attack against Israel but he stressed that the DSWD will make sure that all possible assistance will be given to them.

Usec Romualdez said the Field Office-1 (Ilocos Region) was able to get in touch with the family of the slain 32-year-old Pinay nurse in Pangasinan but her mother was still in a state of shock and wanted her privacy.

The Pinay nurse and her Israeli elderly patient were killed by members of the militant Hamas group during the first wave of attack last October 7.

In a Facebook post, the Commissioner for Foreign Workers’ Labor Rights in Israel confirmed that a Pinay nurse named Angeline died after staying with her patient despite the chance to run away.

“Galing sa Pilipinas si Angeline para magtrabaho sa Kibbutz Kfar Gaza. Sa nakamamatay na pag-atake ng terorista sa Kfar Gaza, hindi siya tumakas sa kabila na kaya niya, dahil sa katapatan sa kanyang pasyenteng si Nira,” said the commission in a translated language of Hebrew.

Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez said that in addition to receiving financial support under AICS, the families will be directed to their own regional offices where social workers will evaluate them and determine what services they will require in their hometowns.

There are some 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and 137 others live in the Gaza strip, where the militant Hamas launched their attacks.#