Airspace closures stall return of Filipina caregiver killed in Israel
By: Dexter Cabalza – Reporter / @dexcabalzaINQ
INQUIRER.net / 04:42 PM March 02, 2026
MANILA, Philippines — The remains of the Filipina caregiver who died during an airstrike in Israel amid Iran’s counterattacks will not be repatriated to the Philippines soon, as airspace across parts of the Middle East remains closed due to the ongoing conflict.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the Philippine government would need more time to process the repatriation of 32-year-old Mary Ann de Vera to her hometown in Basista, Pangasinan.
“We will wait for the right time to do this. De Vera’s family and her husband, who is also an overseas Filipino worker in Israel, understand the situation,” Cacdac said in a Malacañang briefing on Monday.
“We will wait for the appropriate time to bring home the remains of Mary Ann. But we’re in good hands because the Israeli government is fully backing us in this endeavor. So in due time, Marian will be home safely,” he added.
For the meantime, the DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have already sent teams to assist De Vera’s family in Pangasinan. Teams were also deployed in Tel Aviv to help De Vera’s husband.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier assured De Vera’s bereaved family that the national government would provide all necessary assistance, including financial aid and other support they may require.
“All the assistance that their family will need will be provided for by the government,” he said.
De Vera was the first reported Filipino casualty of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
In an interview on dzBB on Monday, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola said that repatriating De Vera, along with her husband and a cousin in Qatar, to the Philippines could not be done immediately because airports in Israel and nearby countries were not operating.
De Vera was killed while helping her elderly ward get inside a bomb shelter during a missile attack in Tel Aviv on the evening of Feb. 28.
However, they were unable to reach the shelter in time and were struck before arriving. She died after being hit by shrapnel from falling bombs, according to the President.
The College of Pharmacy of the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (VMUF) in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, where she graduated BS Pharmacy in 2017, also honored her heroic deed.
“Our beloved alumna, Mary Ann, was a brave and selfless soul who dedicated her life to helping others. While working in the Holy Land, Israel, she courageously stayed by the side of her elderly patient during a missile attack in Tel Aviv, choosing to protect the life entrusted to her,” it said in a Facebook post.
“Tragically, she lost her life in this act of selfless devotion. We honor her courage, generosity, and ultimate sacrifice,” it added.
