MANILA — The overseas Filipino community is in mourning following the death of Leah Mosquera, a Filipino migrant worker who succumbed to injuries after a missile struck her apartment in Rehovot, Israel.
Her sister—also an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Israel—confirmed Mosquera’s passing. The victim had been in critical condition since June 15, when the missile attack occurred amid escalating conflict in the region.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) extended its condolences and pledged support for Mosquera’s grieving family.
“OWWA joins the Department of Migrant Workers, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Migrant Workers Office, and Israeli authorities to ensure the immediate repatriation of her remains, and the provision of appropriate financial and psychosocial assistance to her sister and family,” the agency said in a statement.
OWWA also called for stronger international safeguards to protect migrant workers, particularly those based in conflict zones.
“Like the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), we affirm that every OFW has the right to live and work safely, with dignity and adequate protection anywhere in the world,” it added.
The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines likewise conveyed its sympathies, stating, “Israel shares in the profound sorrow of her family and the Filipino community. We mourn with you and honor Leah’s memory with dignity and compassion. May her soul rest in peace.”
Mosquera’s death highlights ongoing risks faced by OFWs in volatile regions and renewed calls for improved global protocols for the protection of migrant workers.