A Filipina caregiver in Be’er Sheva, Israel, is being recognized for her courage after saving the life of the elderly Israeli woman she cares for just moments before a missile struck their apartment.
According to the Philippine Embassy, the incident occurred on June 24, when an Iranian missile directly hit their residential building, killing four residents. The Filipina caregiver managed to bring the elderly woman into the bomb shelter seconds before the impact, ultimately sparing their lives.
Emergency responders quickly evacuated them from the shelter and brought them to Soroka Medical Center. After undergoing medical tests, both were declared safe and discharged.
The Philippine Embassy’s rapid response team, led by Vice Consul Teri Adolf Bautista, visited the caregiver to deliver a relief package containing rice, groceries, hygiene items, and clothing, as she lost all her belongings in the blast. Welfare Officer Karen Padduyao and Attache Leizl Camarillo joined the mission.
Now staying temporarily outside Be’er Sheva, the caregiver and her ward are set to receive further support. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have committed additional assistance, while the caregiver will also undergo psychosocial counseling arranged by the Embassy. Her employer is coordinating with Israeli authorities to secure the benefits she is entitled to.
“If not for her, my mother wouldn’t be alive,” said the daughter of the elderly woman, expressing deep gratitude to the Filipina.