If I go home, we don't have enough money': the low-paid Filipino workers caught up in the war on Iran

"Each time an alert sounds, she rushes to help the older man she cares for, supporting him into a wheelchair, then down the steps into a nearby shelter. Last night, there were three alerts. We received it at about 2am, in the middle of the night, and then 3am, and then 4am, says Pelayo."

"On 28 February, 32-year-old Mary Ann De Vera, a Filipino working as a carer, became the first casualty of the conflict in Israel. She was killed in Tel Aviv after being hit by shrapnel while escorting her employer, an older woman, to a shelter."

"The Middle East is one of the main destinations for Filipinos who work abroad, and the salaries offered in the region in jobs ranging from domestic work and healthcare, to construction and engineering can be many times higher those available back home."

Approximately 2.4 million Filipinos work across the Middle East, seeking higher wages to support families back home. The escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran has placed these workers in immediate danger. Sirens warning of missile attacks sound multiple times daily, forcing workers like caregiver Joycee Pelayo into frequent shelter runs. Mary Ann De Vera became the first Filipino casualty on February 28, killed by shrapnel while escorting her employer to shelter in Tel Aviv. Migrant workers consistently occupy frontline positions during regional conflicts; Thai nationals suffered 47 deaths in the October 2023 Hamas attacks. Despite substantial financial remittances benefiting the Philippines, migrant workers endure prolonged family separation and dangerous working conditions.

Read at www.theguardian.com