A Filipina caregiver was killed amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
In a report by GMA News Online, Marcos said the Filipina caregiver – a Mary Ann Velasquez De Vera, a native of Pangasinan – was killed along with her employer in an airstrike.
“Siya po ay isang caregiver sa Israel na tinutulungan ang kanyang alaga para dalhin sa bomb shelter ngunit hindi na po nakaabot sa bomb shelter at inabutan na sila bago sila nakarating,” the President said.
(She was a caregiver in Israel who was helping her employer get to a bomb shelter, but they were unable to reach the bomb shelter in time.)
“Siya ay namatay dahil tinamaan ng shrapnel ng mga bumagsak na bomba. Na-identify na po siya ng kanyang asawa na isang OFW din na nagtatrabaho sa Israel,” he added.
(She died after being hit by shrapnel from falling bombs. She was identified by her husband, who is also an OFW working in Israel.)
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Israel said De Vera, 32 years old, hailed from Basista in Pangasinan.
It added that De Vera had been working in Israel since 2019. The OFW was killed during a missile attack in Tel Aviv on the evening of February 28.
“Her identity was confirmed through biometric records at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where her husband, who also works in Israel, positively identified her remains,” the Philippine Embassy in Israel said in a statement.
Marcos also assured that the Philippine government will provide all the assistance needed by the caregiver’s family.
For emergencies, Filipinos may contact the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) at (+632) 1348 (international), 1348 (Metro Manila), and (02) 1348 (regional, mobile number).
The United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran on Saturday, escalating tensions in the region.
The Israeli military said Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel.
The Pentagon has officially designated the American strikes as Operation Epic Fury.
(with reports from Vince Angelo Ferreras, JMA, GMA Integrated News)
