Filipino caregiver killed in Middle East conflict – Marcos

Mary Ann Velasquez de Vera (also spelled Mary Anne Velazquez de Vera), a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver from Basista, Pangasinan, was killed on February 28, 2026, during an Iranian retaliatory missile airstrike in Tel Aviv, Israel. The incident occurred amid escalated Middle East tensions following US-Israel joint strikes on Iran (Operation Epic Fury), which prompted Iranian missile retaliation on Israel. De Vera had worked in Israel since 2019 as a caregiver.

According to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who confirmed her death in a video message on March 1, 2026, De Vera died from shrapnel while helping her elderly employer reach a bomb shelter during the attack. Tragically, neither she nor her employer made it to safety in time, and both perished in the incident. Her identity was verified by her husband, another overseas Filipino worker (OFW) caregiver in Israel, through biometric records at Abu Kabir Forensic Institute.

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President Marcos expressed deep condolences to De Vera's family and assured full government support, with the Philippine Embassy in Israel coordinating efforts to assist her family. This marks the first reported Filipino casualty in the escalating Middle East conflict that began with the US-Israel joint strikes on Iran on February 28, followed by Iran's missile retaliation.

The Philippine government has mobilized assistance through the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to support De Vera's family. The incident highlights the risks faced by Filipino caregivers working abroad, particularly in conflict zones, and has prompted calls for enhanced safety measures for OFWs in volatile regions.