Pinay Caregiver Mary Anne de Vera Killed in Israel Airstrike — She Was Helping Her Ward to a Bomb Shelter
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the heartbreaking news: a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver named Mary Anne Velazquez de Vera from Basista, Pangasinan was killed by shrapnel during an airstrike in Israel. She is the first confirmed Filipino casualty since the Middle East conflict escalated.
According to reports, de Vera was helping her elderly ward get to a bomb shelter when the airstrike hit. She was identified by her husband, who is also an OFW working in Israel. Marcos delivered the grim announcement in a video statement, promising that the government would provide all forms of assistance to her family.
The incident happened amid the ongoing exchange of attacks involving American and Israeli forces against Iran, which has sent shockwaves across the region. The Philippine government has been checking on its embassies and labor attachés throughout the Middle East, where thousands of OFWs continue to work.
Senator Bong Go urged OFWs to remain vigilant and always coordinate with Philippine embassies for safety updates. The Department of Migrant Workers also advised Filipinos in Israel to follow announcements from the embassy and the IDF Home Front Command. Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula directed all priests in the Archdiocese to include prayers for peace in the Middle East.
An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 Filipinos are working in US bases across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. At least 23 international flights to the region have been canceled since the attacks began. The news is a painful reminder of the risks that Filipino workers abroad face every day — lalo na in conflict zones.
Source: Philstar.com
