CRISIS IN MIDDLE EAST: Filipina caregiver killed in Israel

National

A FILIPINO caregiver was killed in Israel on Sunday during a missile attack by Iranian forces, the first reported Philippine casualty in the escalating Middle East conflict.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed the death of Mary Ann Velazquez de Vera of Pangasinan in a video message, a report by Inquirer.net stated.

Velasquez’s husband, also an overseas Filipino worker in Israel, separately verified the fatality. De Vera was hit by shrapnel while helping her elderly ward move to a bomb shelter amid the strikes.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein confirmed the incident in a livestream from Tel Aviv. He said the missiles struck a civilian building where both children and elderly people were present, including the Filipina caregiver.

Marmorstein condemned the attack on civilians as a direct result of the Iranian missile strike.

The Philippine government said it would provide all necessary support to De Vera’s family and is preparing for repatriation as required.

The Department of National Defense said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is on standby to assist Filipinos in the region if the conflict worsens.

AFP spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla said the military remains ready to support the national government’s response.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines urged the government to activate 24/7 rapid response systems and provide clear information to overseas Filipino workers about their rights, safety, and emergency contact lines.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, there are large Filipino communities across the Middle East, including about 975,000 in the United Arab Emirates, 813,000 in Saudi Arabia, and 250,000 in Qatar. The DFA also reported about 800 Filipinos in Iran and 31,000 in Israel, with the rest spread across the region.

Philippine embassies in the Gulf have issued safety advisories urging Filipinos to stay vigilant, prepare emergency supplies, and keep important documents ready. Many Filipinos have been advised to shelter in place amid the evolving security situation.(Adriane Josef E. Cabase, USJ-R Comm Intern)