Right after the wave of retaliatory drone and missile attacks initiated by Iran against Gulf States, Facebook carried countless of video clips posted by overseas Filipino workers in the area.
The immediate posts depicted fear and uncertainty, with a number of OFWs expressing the desire to return to the Philippines because of the grave threat to their lives.
The public fear appears to have simmered following the interception of the missiles and drones with the use of sophisticated air defense systems.
Within days after the start of the attacks, the tone of most OFW posts has shifted with a number showing what appears to be a back-to-usual grind of things.
Close friends and former students I have contacted since the start of the attacks on Feb. 28 said a number of them are in a work-from-home mode but gave the assurance that they trust the government’s capability to secure residents.
And proof to that sense of safety: a video of family bonding at the park.
And there’s that post, the dash of humor depicted by flashing the DOE oil price hike infographic with the caption, “Tani okay lang kami da sa Pilipinas.”
Amid the seeming peace and safety, all I contacted expressed thanks for our prayers for them, as they reiterated, “Please continue praying for us here and for peace in the world.”
Let us continue praying for peace in the Gulf States as tension continues in the area and also in other restive areas across continents.
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And writing about prayers, a global celebration is being observed this week to highlight their importance.
It is the World Day of Prayer, an international ecumenical initiative if Christian lay women. What makes the March 6 doubly significant is that it is being marked shortly before International Women’s Day – on March 8.
The global event is annually run under the motto, “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action”.
Organizers said the movement aims to bring together women of various cultures, traditions and races to a common day of prayer.
At the same time, it aims to forge “closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.”
The event is observed in more than 170 countries. It was started in the United States almost four decades ago for home and, eventually, foreign missions.
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On this day, as the movement spread to other parts of the world, women are encouraged to be more aware of global cultures, not just their own.
Organizers said the occasion also enjoins women “to take up the burdens of other people, sympathize with the problems of other countries and pray with and for them.”
They are also challenged to use their talents and skills in serving communities as well as to demonstrate that prayer and action are inseparable “and both have immeasurable impact in the world.”
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This year, Nigeria hosts the celebration, with the theme, “I will give you rest”, which is based on Matthew 11:28.
The theme emphasizes the need to find peace, solace and strength amid people’s burdens in life, including poverty and systemic oppression and religious persecution.
Religious persecution is widespread in Nigeria, where more than 7,000 persons were killed in the first seven months of 2025 alone, because of their faith.
Estimates indicate that the death toll since 2020 has reached more than 25,000. The figures are even higher in the last decade, reports said.
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We are one in spirit and thought as we celebrate the global event much more as unrest and conflict run across continents more than ever.
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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) | NWI
