Filipina killed in Israel airstrike, Marcos says

A caregiver working in Israel is the first reported Filipino fatality in the escalating conflict in the Middle East, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. confirmed late Sunday evening.

According to the president, Mary Anne Velasquez Rivera, who hails from Pangasinan, was assisting her elderly ward to a bomb shelter when she was hit by shrapnel from falling explosives before they could reach safety.

Her identity was confirmed by her husband, who is also an overseas Filipino worker in Israel.

The government said it would extend all necessary assistance to Ms. Rivera’s family and continue to monitor the situation of Filipinos in the region, vowing to provide updates as developments unfold.

“We continue to monitor the situation of our fellow Filipinos who are in the midst of this war, as tensions persist in the Middle East,” Mr. Marcos said in Filipino in a video statement.

“Rest assured that as soon as we have information to report, I will update you immediately.”

The region is home to over 2.4 million migrant Filipino laborers, which sends a steady stream of remittances back to the Philippines each year, underpinning household consumption and supporting the broader economy.

US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iranian targets on Saturday, an operation President Donald J. Trump said was aimed at neutralizing threats to the US and stopping Tehran from advancing its nuclear weapons capabilities. – Chloe Mari A. Hufana