Curtains drawn, passports ready: Filipinos dig in as war reaches the Gulf

Missile and drone attacks spark fear, but most Filipino workers say leaving is not an option. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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For many Filipino migrants across the Persian Gulf, the war arrived first as a sound: a deep thud in the distance, then another and another – loud enough to rattle nerves even kilometres away.

The war has pushed them into a state of cautious vigilance – staying home, drawing curtains, avoiding windows, and keeping their phones fully charged and their passports within arm’s reach.

Yet, few are considering a flight home.

Some have put down deep roots in the Gulf; most have no other means of supporting their families back in the Philippines. So they stay, digging in, waiting for the conflict to boil over, convinced the wait will not be long.

The missiles and drones roared above Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, just after midnight on March 1.