NEGROS Occidental – The remains of Leah Mosquera, a 49-year-old caregiver from San Enrique town who died in a missile attack in Israel, arrived in the province early Thursday morning, July 24, more than a week after she passed away.
Mosquera succumbed to injuries she sustained when an Iranian missile struck their flat in Rehovot, Israel on June 15, at the height of the conflict in the region. According to her sister Mae Joy Mosquera, who also works as a caregiver in Israel and accompanied her remains back home, Leah had been resting in their apartment with other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) when the missile hit. She remained comatose for nearly a month before passing away on July 13.
At the Bacolod-Silay Airport, relatives, local officials, and representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 6 and the Department of Migrant Workers-Negros Island Region (DMW-NIR) gathered to receive Mosquera’s remains. Among those present were Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, DMW-NIR Director Glenda Aligonza, OWWA-6 Director James Mendiola, and Provincial PESO head Karen Dinsay.
Gov. Lacson offered condolences and pledged P190,000 in financial assistance from the provincial government, stating, “She is one of the millions of OFWs who sacrificed their time away from home to bring a better life to their families and contributed greatly to the country’s economy.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also instructed DMW and OWWA to extend support to Mosquera’s family, according to Mendiola.
Mosquera’s remains were brought directly to her hometown in Barangay Guintorilan, where she previously served as barangay treasurer before working abroad for nearly 20 years.
San Enrique’s Mayor Jilson Tubillara said the local government will provide initial assistance of P10,000 and is closely coordinating with the family regarding her wake and interment arrangements, which are yet to be finalized.
The mayor also mentioned that a monitoring team has been assigned to assist the bereaved family throughout the process.
Gov. Lacson shared that one of Mosquera’s friends, also an OFW from Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, who survived the same attack, plans to return home to recover from the trauma. She lived near Mosquera but was not with her during the missile strike.
Mosquera is the second OFW from Negros Occidental killed in the ongoing conflict in Israel. The first was Loreta Alacre, a 49-year-old caregiver from Barangay Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City, who died in 2023./PN
