DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The metro station was not so full, contemplating it was the primary 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 essentially the most a part of it, folks had been staying – and dealing – from dwelling.
In a nutshell, that is the way it has been for this erstwhile worldwide metropolis that doesn’t sleep, when the US and Israel began bombing Iran final Saturday, February 28, and the latter let off a barrage of missiles and drones in retaliation throughout the Gulf area – from Bahrain to UAE.
The UAE Ministry of Protection (MOD), on Sunday, March 1, introduced that it has up to now handled 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 Iranian drones for the reason that begin of the Iranian counter-attack.
Of those, UAE has intercepted 152 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 506 drones. A complete of 13 ballistic missiles fell into the ocean whereas 35 drones fell contained in the nation, inflicting three deaths and 58 accidents, together with a Filipino, to not point out materials injury, MOD stated.
“The ministry indicated that some particles fell in numerous areas of the nation on account of air protection techniques intercepting ballistic missiles and drones, resulting in minor to reasonable materials injury to quite a lot of civilian properties,” reported the government-run Emirates Information Company or WAM.
Reassurance from envoys
Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver, head of the Philippine mission to the UAE, addressed the Filipino group in Abu Dhabi throughout a Sunday mass in St. Joseph Cathedral and St. Therese Church within the capital metropolis, the place he gave a “heartfelt reassurance, and referred to as on the Filipino… group… to remain calm (and) stay knowledgeable…,” in line with a publish by the Philippine Embassy’s Fb (FB) account, which has 165,000 followers.
The embassy, in addition to the Philippine Consulate Basic in Dubai, have usually been issuing advisories on the flip of occasions.
“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.
(Collectively, let’s maintain hope – robust in religion, united in serving to one another, and guided by the infinite friendship between the Philippines and UAE.)
Ver had been posted, additionally as ambassador, to neighboring Bahrain from 2015 to 2021, earlier than he was transferred to UAE in 2023.
In Dubai, Consul Basic Ambrosio “Ambo” Brian F. Enciso III stated their “precedence is to increase all attainable help and assist to Filipinos abroad.”
He stated the consulate normal has been “coordinating with related UAE businesses on studies of attainable injured Filipinos, in addition to developments within the opening of the Dubai Worldwide Airport, UAE airspace and different safety bulletins… to assist disseminate the right info for the security of the Filipino group.”
“A lot of the injury to property in Dubai is because of particles from missiles and drones intercepted by the UAE’s aerial protection. That’s the reason, we name on our kababayan within the UAE to remain calm, shelter in place, observe pronouncements / advisories solely from official UAE authorities sources, and stay vigilant and on heightened alert,” Enciso stated.
“We categorical our deepest because of the UAE authorities for holding the nation and its residents, together with the Filipino group, protected.”
Furthermore, he stated the consulate normal will stay open to the general public this week, March 2 to six, and can function as ordinary.
“All purchasers who (are) unable to come back for his or her appointment… shall be accommodated on every other working day all through the months of March and April 2026, as much as a month from their unique appointment date,” Enciso stated.
Shoppers should current their “outdated appointment affirmation electronic mail upon entry to be accommodated,” he added, stressing that “there isn’t any must set a brand new appointment.”
Quiet within the metro
However how was it going to work on a Monday rush hour throughout the battle?
“Tahimik ang metro (The metro was not busy),” stated Mary Mae Tinambacan, a telecommunication assistant, who routinely rides the metro from the Union station in Deira to Emirates station in Sheikh Zayed Street, 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 noticed the airport terminal 3 [which was hit by a bomb the other day], wrecked.)
Most individuals, fearing particles falling from the sky, labored from dwelling.
Others, like these doing companies like Michico Lopez Ramos, who runs an occasions firm, had been praying the bombings finish quickly.
“Thus far, okay pa naman ang enterprise. Hind pa naman masyadong affected. Huwag lang sana magtuloy-tuloy kasi for positive mawawalan ng shopper,” she stated.
(Thus far, the enterprise is okay, not affected an excessive amount of. But when this goes on, we’ll lose purchasers.)
Already, certainly one of her purchasers has postponed a scheduled iftar, a dinner after a day of fasting throughout this month of Ramadan.
Beth Fabic, in the meantime, shouldn’t be paying a lot consideration to panic-buying.
“I’m not pondering of shopping for further groceries. No matter we’ve got for now could be sufficient for us. We think about the UAE authorities na hindi nila hahayaan lumalala itong state of affairs (that they won’t let this example worsen),” she stated.
Interception
Leslie Pableo, a media practitioner and public relations specialist, stated they first encountered an interception on Saturday evening , the primary day of Iran’s retaliation following the assaults by the US and Israel.
She stated they had been hunkered down in mattress round 12 midnight after they “heard a loud growth and noticed a white flash within the sky.”
“Later, we came upon that UAE protection forces had intercepted the missiles. Seeing and listening to that firsthand was one thing I by no means imagined I might expertise. After all, there was concern. The UAE shouldn’t be used to conditions like this, so the shock was actual. However what gave us reassurance was how shortly the federal government communicated with everybody,” Pableo stated.
She stated the alerts on their telephones, the official updates and the fixed reminders to remain calm “made an enormous distinction.”
“This morning, I awoke once more to the sound of one other loud growth. Surprisingly, I didn’t react the identical means I did the primary time. I stayed calm, made my espresso, and continued watching my favourite noontime present from the Philippines, Eat Bulaga. Life, in some ways, continues,” Pableo stated.
They had been staying in Jebel Ali, means down south.
Sally Mallari, a private assistant to an Emirati businessman, cautioned folks to “keep away from home windows and open areas.”
“The loud bangs you’re listening to are from the UAE’s air protection techniques intercepting threats excessive within the sky. The authorities are actively monitoring the state of affairs, and we’re protected so long as we keep indoors and observe official steering. The primary threat is falling particles, so it’s finest to keep away from home windows and open areas,” she stated.
Emergency sirens
In different elements of the Gulf, in the meantime, Jeromel Dela Rosa Lara, a Harvard College graduate with masters at Oxford College instructing journalism and Arabic literature in Jordan, stated the emergency siren at their place has been incessantly blaring.
“I’m in Madaba, Jordan, which is close to the capital Amman. Now we have had the civil protection sirens go off usually since Saturday morning. We hear jets from Jordanian Air Drive over the skies as they do aerial sorties. We hear loud thunderous sounds of the intercepted missiles and even see them overhead,” Lara stated.
“Final evening, we noticed westbound missiles being intercepted at about 10 pm.”
The “huge concern” that they’ve is falling missile and projectile particles over populated areas. “There have already been incidents of enormous missile fragments falling on residential buildings,” he stated.
Lara stated Filipino group teams in Jordan have been checking in on one another and sharing vital updates, resembling security notices from the Philippine Embassy and Jordan’s Nationwide Middle for Safety and Disaster Administration (NCSCM).
“Work has not been cancelled for many of us. Nonetheless, Filipinos working throughout the space of the US Embassy, or for US Embassy employers, didn’t must go to work since yesterday,” he stated.
Keep indoors
It’s the third day of the battle. The UAE has been reeling from its results – a hearth at a five-star resort on plush Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab, amongst others.
In Qatar, WAM reported that the nation had 65 ballistic missiles and 12 drone incidents.
Qatar Information Company reported that the assault resulted in eight accidents starting from vital to reasonable, along with materials injury to property, with no fatalities recorded.
Spokespersons at a joint press convention held by the ministries of protection, inside and overseas affairs stated that 63 missiles and 11 drones had been intercepted and shot down, whereas two missiles reached Al Udeid Air Base and one drone focused an early warning radar.
On the bottom, there have been 114 studies of falling particles in numerous areas throughout the nation, whereas early warning alerts had been activated urging residents to stay indoors, keep away from rumors, and chorus from photographing the aftermath of the assault, WAM stated. – Rappler.com
