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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Remains of OFW killed in Israel missile attack brought home; 442 Filipinos return from UAE

Remains of OFW killed in Israel missile attack brought home; 442 Filipinos return from UAE

Published Mar 14, 2026 04:35 pm
(Courtesy of Department of Migrant Workers)
(Courtesy of Department of Migrant Workers)
The remains of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Ann De Vera, who died in a missile attack in Israel, arrived in Manila early morning on Saturday, March 14, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) revealed.
De Vera’s remains, sealed in a special container bearing the flag of Israel, arrived at 4:30 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to a somber reception led by her partner, Bernie Lavarias.
She was fatally injured by shrapnel on February 28 in Tel Aviv while helping an elderly woman reach a bomb shelter.
The DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) coordinated the arrival to ensure a proper repatriation, as well as the transportation of De Vera’s remains from Manila to her home province in Pangasinan.
In a ceremony upon arrival, members of the DMW, OWWA and the Filipino community gathered with the bereaved family.
“Farewell, kabayan. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten,” the DMW said in a statement.
De Vera’s return came on the same day that a government‑chartered flight brought home 442 Filipinos trapped in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the ongoing Middle East crisis.
A special chartered flight arranged by the national government, through the DMW, landed shortly after 12 noon at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City, carrying 442 Filipinos from UAE, including more than 200 OFWs.
“We have landed. [A total of] 442 Filipinos from the UAE on the PHL Government‑chartered B747‑400 flight as directed by President Bongbong Marcos are home,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said in a Facebook post.
Cacdac was among those who flew back with the repatriated Filipinos and they were welcomed at the tarmac by government agencies led by the DMW, supported by OWWA, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Cacdac said the safe return of the Filipinos is part of the government’s Post‑Repatriation Assistance program amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as the United States and Israel continue to launch missile and drone attacks in Iran, and Tehran retaliates, affecting different states in the Gulf region.

Related Tags

DMW OWWA OFW Mary Ann De Vera Israel Iran US Middle East repatriation
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