MANILA/HONG KONG — A Filipino domestic helper has been hailed as a hero after emerging from a deadly Hong Kong tower fire with her employer s three-month-old baby and elderly mother.Just a day after arriving in the city, Rhodora Alcaraz, 28, found herself trapped and alone with her new employer s loved ones in the family s smoke-filled Wang Fuk Court apartment before being rescued by firefighters just in time, according to accounts of her ordeal shared by her family and friends.Alcaraz s story has for some highlighted the enduring role of the city s hundreds of thousands of domestic helpers who cook, clean and care for the young and elderly, often living in cramped spaces and earning modest wages in one of the world s most expensive cities. I salute you, Rhodora, and all overseas foreign workers who continue to sacrifice for their families even while far from home, Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of the Philippines president, said in a Facebook post on Sunday after visiting Alcaraz in hospital.She posted a photo of Alcaraz lying in a hospital bed wearing a purple gown and a face mask and giving a thumbs-up.
Tuesday 16 December 2025
asiaone - 15 days ago
Philippines celebrates heroic helper who survived Hong Kong fire
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