DSWD readies aid to family of Filipina caregiver killed in Israel

Philippine News Agency

GOV’T AID. Mary Anne De Vera, the overseas Filipino worker from Basista, Pangasinan, was killed during the March 1, 2026, missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Tuesday (March 3) said it would provide financial and psychosocial aid to her bereaved family. (Photo: PNA/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will assist the family of a Filipina caregiver who perished after sustaining injuries from an airstrike in Tel Aviv, Israel.

A report from the DSWD’s Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) said its counterparts from the DSWD Field Office 1 (Ilocos Region) have coordinated with the local government unit of Basista town in Pangasinan to ensure proper communication and collaboration with the immediate family of Mary Anne Velazquez De Vera.

The DSWD-CIP initiative aims to facilitate the provision of financial assistance and psychosocial support to the bereaved family of Mary Anne.

“Nakikiramay kami sa naiwan nyang pamilya at handa po kami na magbahagi ng tulong sa kanila para malagpasan ang masakit na pangyayaring ito (The DSWD commiserates with the bereaved family, and we are ready to help them recover from this tragic event),” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release on Tuesday.

“Magbibigay po ang DSWD ng tulong pinansyal sa ilalim ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program at psychosocial support para sa kanyang pamilya (The DSWD will provide financial aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program and psychosocial support to the family),” she said.

The DSWD’s AICS serves as a crucial social safety net, providing temporary support to help individuals and families recover from unforeseen emergencies like illness, death, disasters, or other crises.

Dumlao said they will also explore possible livelihood assistance for Mary Anne’s family through the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

She said the DSWD is currently coordinating with the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs for updates on the repatriation of Mary Anne’s remains, as well as the number of overseas Filipino workers who have expressed interest in returning to the Philippines following the ongoing tension in the Gulf region.

“Utos po ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na siguraduhin na ligtas ang ating mga kababayan na nasa Middle East. Makakaasa po ang publiko na handa po kaming magbahagi ng tulong para makapagsimula muli ang ating mga kababayan kung nais man nilang bumalik sa ating bansa (President Marcos has ordered to ensure the safety of our countrymen in the Middle East. We assure the public that we are ready to help them make a fresh start if they decide to come home),” she said.