WARried Global Citizen
Nobody wants to lose their life by a random bomb attacks or be struck by stray bullets the very moment they step outside their house. Nobody wants to die from famine, thirst, or that toxic air left behind by chemical or atomic explosions. Hopefully, nobody wants to be buried six feet under debris or ruins because of mass destruction brought about by armed struggle. And from those nobodies, I count myself in. The very grounds of my overthinking and panic episodes lately, even at the mere mention and glimpse of the global conflict.
As I write this, it has been 19 days since February 28, 2026, the day the Middle East conflict broke out. I then find myself wondering what necessary and major preparations we can make for a worst-case scenario.
Reality check: gasoline prices have suddenly skyrocketed, and the flow of goods and services has been severely disrupted, causing widespread price hikes far and wide. It ripples the effect, extending things like the price of vegetables and basic commodities, transportation fare included. People storm and crowd the markets and bazaars, hurrying to get their needs before prices climb even higher. Panic and impulsive buying take the air.
As a global citizen, I worry that conflict involving the Middle East, Israel, and the United States may not end anytime soon. Their stiff knees seemingly cannot bend. Tensions grow more and more rigid. Sadly, not even the brightest political analyst out there can confidently project what comes next, provided the unpredictability of global actors and their extremist foreign policies.
Memes were born, and theories disgust as reminders to raise public awareness. Admittedly, some are informative, others unsettling. Top the headline and become the talk of the town. But the bottom line of it all is that they bring great worry and fear. Feelings I deeply share. But I am most worried about people who barely get by in life—those who cannot keep up with the aftermath of the conflict, especially the rising cost of living. With it, they cannot guarantee financial stability or security in their everyday lives, even in small or large family sizes.
Furthermore, this is no longer a spotlight that attracts concern to countries directly involved. But on a bigger frame, it reflects an indirect battle of those developing nations, including the Philippines. Sadly, ordinary Filipinos who only wish for world peace while hardly striving to meet daily ends are now suffering unspeakable hardships.
One of these days, I fear that we will cower in the dark as the national government could only direct the electricity provider to ration the supply of electricity. Generators will be futile as they require increasingly pricey fuel. A power station or power bank will be a dire need during these uncertain times.
One of these days, I fear that social services may be disrupted under shortened work schedules due to the prevailing 4-day-a-week work. Where the spending power of the people weakens and money loses its value, causing the economy to decline, following institutions and establishments uncertain about continuing essential services.
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One of these days, work-from-home arrangements and virtual learning will take effect. E-bikes or public utility vehicles (PUVs) like e-jeepneys will hit the roads heavily. While bicycles will take the place of motorcycles. People may walk to their destinations, convincing themselves it is for burning calories, when in truth it hurts; it is simply to save money.
Just like that, the world suddenly crumbles. Conflict brings a chain reaction.
It saddens me that the Philippine government has had ample time to prepare for emergencies like this, yet foresight often fails to translate into action. We export raw materials but lack the machinery to process our own oil. It demands a great length of the supply chain. Potential oil sources have been discovered, yet they are underutilized and underfunded. If only these were publicly available and fully developed, prices wouldn’t be as extreme as today, and people wouldn’t feed their families more soup in the noodles or stretch meals just to get by.
With the leader’s unpredictability and absurdity, every country must be emergency-ready. To me, this means striving to be like Japan, with months of oil reserves and years’ worth of food supplies. Maybe alongside, military powerhouse.
These world leaders are driven by interests that seek to advance their own. Yes, imagine when a war erupts; do we really think these so-called allies will aid each other when they have their crying-for-help people to attend to first? Do we expect they will send warships and militants to counter the attack when we don’t have? Alliances don’t stay forever; sometimes they are the worst enemy we could ever have. They only exist just on paper, but reality tells a different story.
Frankly, I am so worried about what lies ahead. I admit to leaning toward pessimism, holding fast onto the idea that tomorrow is not a promise; even our country, even miles away from the war zone, can experience uncertainties in one way or another; the economy is collapsing for that matter.
To the US, Israel, Middle East leaders, and everyone in between: I still want to chase those rainbows of my life, no matter how distant they may seem. I want to treat my family to a holiday shopping or full grocery run without constantly checking price tags. I wanted to travel to places like Palawan, Boracay or Switzerland if time permits. I want to teach disciplines like social sciences or political science, or to even study international relations, and perhaps become a diplomat or consular officer. Initiate activities with my own funds for children or join our dedicated public officials. Yet, I worry if these dreams of mine still can be achieved given the situation we are now in. So please, allow me to realize these, and allow those like me dreaming of a safe future by stopping the war.
As a global citizen, war will not end if both sides refuse to yield. It will persist until no one’s left to fight, but then again, people, the global citizen, lose the most. I worry about a future where humanity will be extinct months from now or face devastation worse than World War II. This is me, as a global citizen, deeply worried about how this war will lead if conflict is left unchecked.
This is also me crying to stop the war and let every human live free from worry and fear for their lives, their loved ones, and their country.
Preserve peace.
