A Filipina domestic worker who was pulled from a deadly residential fire in Hong Kong is still receiving treatment days after being rushed to intensive care for severe smoke inhalation. Rhodora “Jackie” Alcaraz, 29, had arrived in the city only a day before the incident.
Authorities in Hong Kong noted that Alcaraz stayed inside the burning flat to ensure the safety of the three-month-old child she was caring for. She remained with the infant until firefighters brought them out, along with the baby’s mother. Her decision quickly drew attention, with news outlets describing her actions as heroic.
Over the weekend, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) issued a statement calling Alcaraz a “modern-day hero” and encouraged the public to pray for her recovery. The agency added that teams from the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong, the Department of Migrant Workers, and the Migrant Workers Office had already checked on her condition “to convey the government’s full support.”
In the Philippines, an OWWA regional representative visited her family to provide rice, food packs, and support for her nine-year-old child, who is staying with her mother-in-law while Alcaraz remains confined abroad.
Her relatives, however, appealed for assistance to be directed primarily to her immediate needs in Hong Kong. They said the aid would have greater impact if it supported her treatment and recovery, and they asked for help so that her siblings could travel to Hong Kong to be with her while she remains in critical care.
The Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong said its staff will continue monitoring affected Filipinos and coordinating help for those caught in the blaze. Latest data from the consulate showed that one Filipino worker died in the fire, Alcaraz was injured, 84 others were declared safe, and seven more had yet to be accounted for.
