US-Israel vs Iran war: The initial impact on Filipinos in UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The metro station was not so full, considering it was the first work week of the month on a morning rush hour. The airport’s terminal 3 concourse was in shambles. The streets have remained half-empty. For the most part of it, people were staying – and working – from home.

In a nutshell, this is how it has been for this erstwhile international city that does not sleep, when the US and Israel started bombing Iran last Saturday, February 28, and the latter let off a barrage of missiles and drones in retaliation across the Gulf region – from Bahrain to UAE.

The UAE Ministry of Defense (MOD), on Sunday, March 1, announced that it has so far dealt with 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 Iranian drones since the start of the Iranian counter-attack.

Of these, UAE has intercepted 152 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 506 drones. A total of 13 ballistic missiles fell into the sea while 35 drones fell inside the country, causing three deaths and 58 injuries, including a Filipino, not to mention material damage, MOD said.

“The ministry indicated that some debris fell in various areas of the country as a result of air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles and drones, leading to minor to moderate material damage to a number of civilian properties,” reported the government-run Emirates News Agency or WAM.

Reassurance from envoys

Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver, head of the Philippine mission to the UAE, addressed the Filipino community in Abu Dhabi during a Sunday mass in St. Joseph Cathedral and St. Therese Church in the capital city, where he gave a “heartfelt reassurance, and called on the Filipino… community… to stay calm (and) remain informed…,” according to a post by the Philippine Embassy’s Facebook (FB) account, which has 165,000 followers.

The embassy, as well as the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, have regularly been issuing advisories on the turn of events.

“Magkasama nating panatilihin ang pag-asa – matatag sa pananampalataya, nagkakaisa sa pagtutulungan, at ginagabayan ng pasasalamat sa walang hanggang pagkakaibigan ng Pilipinas at UAE,” the FB account quoted him as saying.

(Together, let’s keep hope – strong in faith, united in helping each other, and guided by the endless friendship between the Philippines and UAE.)

Ver had been posted, also as ambassador, to neighboring Bahrain from 2015 to 2021, before he was transferred to UAE in 2023.

In Dubai, Consul General Ambrosio “Ambo” Brian F. Enciso III said their “priority is to extend all possible assistance and support to Filipinos overseas.”

He said the consulate general has been “coordinating with relevant UAE agencies on reports of possible injured Filipinos, as well as developments in the opening of the Dubai International Airport, UAE airspace and other security bulletins… to help disseminate the correct information for the safety of the Filipino community.”

“Most of the damage to property in Dubai is due to debris from missiles and drones intercepted by the UAE’s aerial defense. That is why, we call on our kababayan in the UAE to stay calm, shelter in place, follow pronouncements / advisories only from official UAE government sources, and remain vigilant and on heightened alert,” Enciso said.

“We express our deepest thanks to the UAE government for keeping the country and its residents, including the Filipino community, safe.”

Moreover, he said the consulate general will remain open to the public this week, March 2 to 6, and will operate as usual.

“All clients who (are) unable to come for their appointment… will be accommodated on any other working day throughout the months of March and April 2026, up to a month from their original appointment date,” Enciso said. 

Clients must present their “old appointment confirmation email upon entry to be accommodated,” he added, stressing that “there is no need to set a new appointment.”

Quiet in the metro

But how was it going to work on a Monday rush hour during the conflict?

“Tahimik ang metro (The metro was not busy),” said Mary Mae Tinambacan, a telecommunication assistant, who routinely rides the metro from the Union station in Deira to Emirates station in Sheikh Zayed Road, six stops away.

“Pati buses walang masyadong tao. Nakita ko yung airport terminal 3, talagang wasak,” she added.

(Even the buses don’t have many passengers. I saw the airport terminal 3 [which was hit by a bomb the other day], wrecked.)

Most people, fearing debris falling from the sky, worked from home.

Others, like those doing businesses like Michico Lopez Ramos, who runs an events company, were praying the bombings end soon. 

“So far, ok pa naman ang business. Hind pa naman masyadong affected. Huwag lang sana magtuloy-tuloy kasi for sure mawawalan ng client,” she said.

(So far, the business is fine, not affected too much. But if this goes on, we’ll lose clients.)

Already, one of her clients has postponed a scheduled iftar, a dinner after a day of fasting during this month of Ramadan.

Beth Fabic, meanwhile, is not paying much attention to panic-buying.

“I am not thinking of buying extra groceries. Whatever we have for now is enough for us. We have faith in the UAE government na hindi nila hahayaan lumalala itong situation (that they will not let this situation worsen),” she said.

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Interception

Leslie Pableo, a media practitioner and public relations specialist, said they first encountered an interception on Saturday night , the first day of Iran’s retaliation following the attacks by the US and Israel.

She said they were hunkered down in bed around 12 midnight when they “heard a loud boom and saw a white flash in the sky.”

“Later, we found out that UAE defense forces had intercepted the missiles. Seeing and hearing that firsthand was something I never imagined I would experience. Of course, there was fear. The UAE is not used to situations like this, so the shock was real. But what gave us reassurance was how quickly the government communicated with everyone,” Pableo said.

She said the alerts on their phones, the official updates and the constant reminders to stay calm “made a big difference.”

“This morning, I woke up again to the sound of another loud boom. Surprisingly, I did not react the same way I did the first time. I stayed calm, made my coffee, and continued watching my favorite noontime show from the Philippines, Eat Bulaga. Life, in many ways, continues,” Pableo said.

They were staying in Jebel Ali, way down south.

Sally Mallari, a personal assistant to an Emirati businessman, cautioned people to “avoid windows and open areas.”

“The loud bangs you’re hearing are from the UAE’s air defense systems intercepting threats high in the sky. The authorities are actively monitoring the situation, and we are safe as long as we stay indoors and follow official guidance. The main risk is falling debris, so it’s best to avoid windows and open areas,” she said.

Emergency sirens

In other parts of the Gulf, meanwhile, Jeromel Dela Rosa Lara, a Harvard University graduate with masters at Oxford University teaching journalism and Arabic literature in Jordan, said the emergency siren at their place has been incessantly blaring.

“I am in Madaba, Jordan, which is near the capital Amman. We have had the civil defense sirens go off regularly since Saturday morning. We hear jets from Jordanian Air Force over the skies as they do aerial sorties. We hear loud thunderous sounds of the intercepted missiles and even see them overhead,” Lara said.

“Last night, we saw westbound missiles being intercepted at about 10 pm.”

The “big concern” that they have is falling missile and projectile debris over populated areas. “There have already been incidents of large missile fragments falling on residential buildings,” he said.

Lara said Filipino community groups in Jordan have been checking in on each other and sharing important updates, such as safety notices from the Philippine Embassy and Jordan’s National Center for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM). 

“Work has not been cancelled for most of us. However, Filipinos working within the area of the US Embassy, or for US Embassy employers, did not have to go to work since yesterday,” he said.

Stay indoors

It’s the third day of the conflict. The UAE has been reeling from its effects – a fire at a five-star hotel on plush Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab, among others.

In Qatar, WAM reported that the country had 65 ballistic missiles and 12 drone incidents.

Qatar News Agency reported that the attack resulted in eight injuries ranging from critical to moderate, in addition to material damage to property, with no fatalities recorded.

Spokespersons at a joint press conference held by the ministries of defense, interior and foreign affairs said that 63 missiles and 11 drones were intercepted and shot down, while two missiles reached Al Udeid Air Base and one drone targeted an early warning radar.

On the ground, there were 114 reports of falling debris in various areas across the country, while early warning alerts were activated urging residents to remain indoors, avoid rumors, and refrain from photographing the aftermath of the attack, WAM said. – Rappler.com

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