• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senator Francis Escudero honored another Filipina caregiver who died during a recent Iranian missile strike in Israel.
Mary Ann de Vera, who lost her life amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, joined the list of two Negrense caregivers, Leah Mosquera of San Enrique, and Loreta Alacre, of Cadiz City, who died in Israel, in 2023 and 2025, respectively, were also honored by the government.
This tragedy reminds us that while we honor the sacrifice of our OFWs, we must also confront the reality that many leave for regions that are economically promising yet geopolitically fragile, Escudero said in a statement.
He added that no Filipino should have to pay the ultimate price simply because she sought honest work to provide for her loved ones.
Escudero called on the government to act with urgency to ensure the safety of every Filipino in the affected regions,stressing that it should be a foremost priority.
He added that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers should ensure that contingency and evacuation plans are fully operational, and for the two agencies to provide direct, proactive communication with our OFWs in vulnerable areas.
Beyond the immediate crisis, however, lies a deeper, chronic, long-term challenge, the Bicolano senator said, noting also that millions of Filipinos have left home not because they wanted to, but because they felt they had to.
Our long-term response must therefore focus on development at home — sustained job creation, stronger local industries, competitive wages, food and energy security, and real opportunities in our provinces, Escudero said, as he further stressed the need to build an economy where working abroad is a choice, not a necessity—because our countrymen deserve a choice.
While we continue to honor and protect our overseas Filipino workers, he said the greatest tribute that the government can offer them is to build a nation strong enough that leaving home is no longer the only path to a better life for their family.*
