Metro Manila, Philippines — An overseas Filipino worker in Israel has died amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Sunday, March 1.
In a video message on Sunday evening, Marcos said Mary Ann Velasquez De Vera from Pangasinan, who was working as a caregiver in Israel, died as Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israel.
“Siya ay isang caregiver sa Israel na tinutulungan ang kanyang alaga para dalhin sa bomb shelter ngunit hindi na po nakaabot sa bomb shelter…Siya ay namatay dahil tinamaan ng shrapnel ng mga bumagsak na bomba,” he said.
[Translation: She was a caregiver in Israel who was helping her ward get to a bomb shelter, but they did not make it. She died from shrapnel from falling bombs.]
Marcos said her husband, who is also an OFW in Israel, identified her body.
The president vowed government assistance to De Vera’s family.
“Patuloy ang pag-monitor sa kalagayan ng ating mga kababayan na nasa gitna ng giyera patuloy pa rin sa Middle East,” he said.
[Translation: We are continuously monitoring the situation of Filipinos who are at the center of the ongoing war in the Middle East.]
Israel has launched another series of strikes on Iran on Sunday.
Following Saturday’s Israel-United States joint attack on Iran, Tehran retaliated with missiles targeted at Israel and American bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman, among others.
In June last year, a surprise Israeli strike on Iran’s military and nuclear facilities sparked a 12-day air war between the two countries.
DND: Conflict no ‘direct threat’ to PH
In a statement, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that if directed, they are ready to respond to humanitarian and evacuation operations.
These also include possible repatriation support and crisis response coordination of Filipinos in affected countries, should conditions further warrant action.
“At the moment, the conflict is contained within the Middle East, and there is no credible direct threat to our territory and Filipino and foreign citizens in our country,” the DND said.
More than 2.4 million Filipinos are in the Middle East, including an estimated 975,000 in the UAE, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Philippines, a major ally of the US in Asia, has expressed concern about “the escalation of the situation in the Middle East region and calls on all parties to resort immediately to dialogue and negotiations to bring peace and stability to the region,” the DFA said Saturday.
The DFA and the DMW were directed Saturday to immediately take steps and implement contingency plans to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the Middle East.
Embassies have been on full alert and have advised Filipinos to stay in their homes and refrain from going out to public places.
PH flights disrupted
Flights from the Philippines have also been affected due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, as authorities and airlines considered safety and airspace restrictions.
On Sunday morning, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported that 23 international flights were canceled and three diverted since Saturday.
Affected passengers were advised to coordinate directly with their respective airlines for rebooking options, refunds, and updated flight information.
The DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided accommodation and transportation assistance to 106 overseas Filipino workers, whose flights to the Middle East were canceled, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac reported on X (formerly Twitter).
