Pinay helped employer before going missing, found dead — envoy

The Philippine Embassy in Israel on Monday confirmed the death of a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver, the lone casualty of the 28 February missile attack that struck Tel Aviv amid the ongoing retaliatory strikes between Israel, the United States and Iran.

Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola-Rau said that Mary Ann Velasquez de Vera, from Basista, Pangasinan, was able to save her employer from the airstrikes before she went missing shortly after.

Her husband, who also works in Israel, and the family of her employer sought help from the embassy, which, in turn, received news of De Vera’s tragic death following close coordination with the Interpol unit in Israel.

“She managed to move her employer out of harm. But she was pinned down, the full impact landed on her,” Rau said in Filipino in a radio interview.

Due to the heightening conflict and barrage of airstrikes, De Vera’s remains are still at the morgue. Rau explained that her funeral arrangements have yet to be finalized unless the situation in Israel stabilizes.

As of Monday, 52 active repatriation requests are pending at the embassy, 32 of which are from stranded tourists and pilgrims. At least 20 overseas Filipino workers have also signified their intention to be repatriated, according to Rau.

However, she stressed that repatriation efforts would be challenging due to airspace closures in the Middle East, halting flights.

The closest airport in their area is in Jordan, but it is also closed as the retaliatory strikes entered their third day.

There are an estimated 2.4 million Filipinos in the Middle East, including 800 in Iran and 31,000 in Israel, data from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed.

In a press briefing on Monday, Senate Committee on Migrant Workers Chair Raffy Tulfo announced that Iran, Syria and Iraq were already placed under crisis alert Level 4, which activates mandatory repatriation for Filipinos in conflict-stricken areas.

Lebanon is at Level 3; unlike Level 4, repatriation is optional for Filipinos and not mandatory.

Israel and Jordan, meanwhile, are at lower alert levels — Level 2 (restriction phase) and Level 1 (precautionary phase), respectively.

No critical status was raised in other Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Tulfo added.

Tulfo expressed concern that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East may drive up oil prices, which could adversely affect transportation, fisherfolk and farmers.

The Philippine Embassy in Iran continues to closely monitor the security situation in the region, according to its latest advisory issued Saturday, 28 February.

It also advised Filipinos in Iran to remain vigilant, avoid public spaces and coordinate with the embassy for updates and safety advisories.