Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Friday, Oct. 13 ensured that the government will provide assistance to the affected Filipino communities in Israel for their safety, as well as speed up the repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have expressed their intent to return to the country.

Tulfo, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, said in a statement that since many OFWs lost their job in Israel, his office has already coordinated with the government to ensure that those affected will be given job opportunities in the Philippines if they cannot return to their workplaces in Israel.

On the other hand, he also extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the Pinoy OFWs.

This was after Israeli authorities recently confirmed that two Filipinos have died in the ongoing war between the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and Israel.

Among the Filipino casualties are Angelyn Aguirre, a nurse who died after staying by the side of her patient, and Paul Vincent Castelvi, a caregiver who went to Israel to support his family in the Philippines.

"My office already coordinated with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ensure that assistance is provided to them," he said.

As of writing, Tulfo said that they are currently confirming the death of another Filipino amid an attack in Israel.

"Despite their heroism and unwavering dedication to work, it is unfortunate that they ended up this way, along with hundreds of other victims who are considered collateral damage of this violence happening in Israel," he said.

"I pray that the war in Israel will finally stop so that no more lives will be lost and no more innocent civilians will suffer," he added.