A Filipina caregiver was able to bring her employer to safety before she was fatally struck by debris during Iran’s retaliatory missile attack on Israel, Philippine officials said.
According to Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola-Rau, 32-year-old Mary Ann Velasquez de Vera was hit by falling debris after a missile struck their apartment building in Tel Aviv.
Citing accounts from first responders and initial reports, Mendiola-Rau said De Vera managed to escort her employer to a safer area before the structure was hit. However, she was trapped under the rubble when debris collapsed around her.
Rescuers were able to pull her from the wreckage, and she reportedly still had a pulse at the time. She later succumbed to her injuries.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Sunday that De Vera was the first Filipino casualty in the escalating Middle East conflict. In a video message, Marcos said she was helping her ward reach a bomb shelter when they were caught in the blast. She died after being struck by shrapnel. Her husband, who also works in Israel as an overseas Filipino worker, has already identified her remains.
The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv continues to conduct a survey to assess the needs of Filipinos in Israel. So far, 22 Filipinos have expressed their intention to return home temporarily, while several Filipino pilgrim-tourists remain stranded and are also being assisted.
Repatriation efforts, however, cannot proceed for now due to the closure of Israel’s airspace, as well as that of neighboring Jordan. Embassy officials are exploring Egypt as a possible departure point once conditions allow safe travel.
The violence intensified over the weekend after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran over its alleged continued nuclear arms development. Iran retaliated by targeting U.S. military bases in parts of the Middle East, further raising regional tensions.
Filipinos in need of assistance may contact OWWA emergency hotlines at 1348 (Metro Manila), 02-1348 (regional), or through official Viber numbers.
