By CESAR JOLITO III

The Negros Occidental provincial government has committed to providing financial assistance to the family of a Negrense overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who died following a missile attack in Israel last month.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday the province will release P190,000 in aid to the family of 49-year-old Leah Mosquera, a caregiver who succumbed to injuries sustained during an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv on June 15.

Mosquera had spent weeks in the intensive care unit (ICU) after undergoing multiple surgeries before eventually passing away, according to information from the Philippine Embassy in Israel.

“We deeply mourn the loss of our fellow Negrenses abroad. [The assistance] is a small but meaningful way to show that the province stands with the families in their time of grief,” Lacson said.

The governor also shared that additional efforts are being made to assist other families affected by the conflicts between Israel and Iran, especially those with relatives working in high-risk areas overseas.

The Provincial Capitol continues to coordinate with national agencies to ensure welfare and reintegration support for OFWs and their families.

Mosquera, a resident of San Enrique town’s Barangay Guintorilan, is the second Negrense OFW killed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Negrense caregiver Loreta Alacre of Cadiz City’s Barangay Cadiz Viejo, was killed during a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Her family also received the same financial assistance from the provincial government under its Provincial Migration and Development Initiatives Project./CJ, WDJ