Through fear and sacrifice: Luz Tautho’s journey as an OFW in Israel

In the quiet stillness of the night, an alarm blares — a warning that rockets would rain down at any moment. Luz Tautho, 46, rushes to the safety shelter, her heart pounding as if playing an urgent game of hide and seek. Except this isn’t a game. This is life in Israel, where her role as a caregiver intertwines with the constant need for vigilance in a land marked by conflict.

Despite the fear that lingers in every corner, she finds strength in the memories of her family back home and the dreams that led her there.

A mother of three in Caloocan City, Luz used to be a housewife back in the Philippines. But as they grew older, so did the need for financial stability, prompting Luz to take a leap of faith and seek work overseas.

“Sobrang hirap… Bago ako nakarating dito, dumaan ako sa butas ng karayom,” she said.

It took Luz nearly two years of a grueling application process before she finally secured the chance to work abroad. The endless back-and-forth of completing piles of requirements tested her resolve, with the entire ordeal feeling more like a stroke of luck than a straightforward procedure.

“If it’s God’s will, talagang makakarating ka. Basta may tiyaga ka lang at tiwala lang,” Luz recounted, her faith and perseverance fueling her through the uncertainty. 

Israel wasn’t even in her plans. But when life presented the opportunity, she took a leap of faith. She firmly declared she would do it all over again when given a chance to relive her decisions and would still choose Israel. Despite the dangers and tensions that come with living in a land brimming with conflicts, she finds solace in the manageable workload and the freedom she has after finishing her duties.

“Mas magaan, mas maalwan, hawak mo ‘yong oras mo,” she explained, emphasizing how the work environment allowed her more time for herself. 

Five years into her journey abroad, Luz is now on her second employer, but her duties remain like those with her first. She considers herself fortunate compared to other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), many of whom endure grueling schedules and work conditions that stretch into the late hours of the night.

“Mas marami pa ‘yong [oras] ko na magdutdut na lang ng cellphone dito kaysa ‘yong trabaho Kaya kung iko-compare mo, mas gugustuhin ko pa rin magtrabaho sa bansang Israel,” she shared with a smile. 

Luz continues to adjust to living with uncertainty in Israel, where each alarm signals a race against time to reach safety, a constant reminder of the dangers that loom.

Some apartments or residential homes in Israel have safety rooms called mamad. These are protected rooms designed to block a range of threats, including missile and rocket attacks, as well as terrorist raids that aim to commit massacres.

“Kailangan within one minute, nandoon ka na [sa mamad] for your safety,” she recounts of the peak of conflict in 2024. “Kasi hindi mo alam kung saan babagsak yung mga debris ng rocket. Hindi mo rin alam kung masasalo ng iron dome nila dito yung rocket.” (You must be in the mamad within one minute for your safety because you don’t know where the rocket debris will fall. You also don’t know if the iron dome can catch the rocket.)

Living in Israel means accepting a reality where vigilance is second nature, and survival hinges on moments of quick thinking. Luz vividly recalls one unforgettable night: around midnight, the alarms blared. She had just woken up and had to run down to the shelter from the third floor.

“[Sumubsob] na ako doon sa may pader, at tsaka nagkaroon ako ng sprain sa paa. . . so tuwing malamig na dito, so ‘yun, kumikirot na ‘yung paa ko,” she shared. (I fell and hit the wall, and I also sprained my foot. So when it’s cold here, my foot hurts.)

With threats constantly looming, she limits herself to going out just once a month, usually to send money to her family. It’s not only the rockets that threaten lives in Israel but also terrorists from Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Houthis from Yemen. These attackers conceal their identities in crowds and randomly kill civilians, making the violence unpredictable. As a result, Luz has learned to stay highly alert whenever she steps outside.

Despite the constant fear, Luz remains focused on her family. 

“Kahit natatakot na ‘ko, kahit gusto ko nang umuwi, syempre nandoon pa rin yung [eagerness] ko na mapagtapos sila,” she said, her tears welling up as she explained her determination to endure. 

Her children often urge her to return home, even if only for a short vacation in the Philippines. But Luz remains steadfast, knowing her work abroad is essential for her family’s future. She plans to continue working for five more years — just enough time for her children to graduate and achieve stability.

“Eh kaysa naman uuwi ako… sino naman magbibigay sa kanila ng kakainin nila, susupport sa kanila?” she said. Despite the distance and challenges, she believes time will come when she and her children will reunite.

Reflecting on the sacrifices OFWs must endure, Luz emphasized the importance of mental strength. 

“Kailangan hindi ka bibigay. Magiging sandalan mo ‘yong mga anak mo upang maging malakas ka bilang isang OFW dito,” she said while her voice trembles out emotion. 

For Luz, prayer and maintaining a peaceful mindset are her anchors as she lives her life away from home. In a foreign country where no one else is beside her to be her support, Luz reflected on being able to draw strength from her family and faith.

Thinking about her hopes and wishes for her children, Luz’s voice softened with emotion. 

“Lagi ko naman sinasabi sa kanila na mag-aral nang mabuti,” she shared. 

“‘Yon lang naman… para naman sa kanila lahat ng ito, para na rin sa kinabukasan nila,” she added, saying that it’s the only thing that she can pass on to her children. 

Despite the hardships and the struggles she has faced, Luz remains resolute in life. For her, no war or conflict can stop her from conquering challenges because she gets her inspiration from her children. 

In the stillness of night, when alarms echo and her heart races, Luz Tatho runs — not just for her own safety, but for the future of the children she loves. What began as a desperate leap of faith has become a life built on quiet courage, shaped by fleeting moments of fear and unwavering strength. In a land marked by conflict and uncertainty, she holds fast to one purpose: to build a better life for her family, no matter the cost.

She misses home every day: the laughter of her children, the comfort of familiar streets, the warmth of ordinary days. These memories weigh heavy on her, yet they’re also what fuel her determination. Even when the nights are cold and the days feel endless, she keeps going, driven by the hope that one day, her sacrifices will give her loved ones the peace she never had.

Because true strength is not loud. It’s the quiet decision to stay, to work, to believe even when everything feels impossible. And love, especially a mother’s love, endures. It bears every burden and finds a way forward, through fear, through loss, through everything.