The town of Basista in Pangasinan is mourning the death of Filipina caregiver Mary Ann De Vera, one of the casualties during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Teachers and friends remember her as kind, soft-spoken, and devoted to her work.

De Vera, 32, was reportedly on her way to a bomb shelter with her elderly patient on February 28, 2026 when shrapnel from a fallen bomb struck them.

Her former school adviser, Butch Cayabyab, said he was shaken by the news and recalled the last message she left him.

"There's no mercy on what happened to Mary Ann… They are only worker or what we call OFW. Ang nasa thought niya, sinecure niya yung amo, oo nga saved siya pero wala nang panahon para mai-save niya yung sarili niya," he said.

Reports said De Vera tried to secure her employer before the explosion hit. Her act has since drawn recognition from many who described her as selfless in the face of danger.

Other former teachers said De Vera showed compassion and determination even as a student.

"Malambot ang puso niya talaga. Kung ano yung nakikita nating personalidad niya sa mga posts, ganun po yung pagkatao ni Mary Ann," Sylvia Pagdanganan, a former teacher, said.

"Noong naging estudyante namin, tahimik siya pero pala aral siya and nakikita ko sa katauhan niya na may pangarap talaga siya," Marisa De Guzman, another former teacher, said.

Bella Quinto, who said she was close to De Vera, described her as cheerful and affectionate.

"Masiyahin tapos alam ko malambing din eh, kasi ‘pag pumupunta kami sa kanila, palatawa din eh. Kahit nasa abroad siya, kilala niya pa rin kami," she said.

The De Vera family has kept their mourning private. Authorities have tightened security around their home compound, with police and village watchmen stationed in the area.

The Philippine Embassy in Israel is coordinating with De Vera’s husband to arrange the repatriation of her remains. Airports in the region remain closed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

"Kahapon pinag-uusapan na nga naming ng team members natin paano mapabilis yung pag-papauwi ng bangkay at ng asawa at pati may isa pa siyang kapatid sa Qatar yata e no. Paano sila papauwi e ang eroplano hindi available. Lahat ng airspace walang lumilipad," Ambassador Aileen Mendiola said in a press briefing.

In a separate briefing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said more than 1,000 overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East have sought repatriation assistance as tensions in the region continue.