The looming crises

The Philippines is about 5,790 miles, or 9,320 kilometers, from Israel. In a conventional war there is simply no reason to be worried. What is worrisome in the current situation is that we are witnessing an actual display of modern warfare that is so destructive, even their nuclear capabilities are being withheld by both Israel and Iran.

The specter we are seeing on social media is just a small portion of the devastation in Israel but not in Iran. But based on international media reports, all the weapons arsenals, including oil refineries and depots, in Iran were not spared.

The human toll on both sides is beyond estimates. It’s only when the dust of war shall have settled, we will know how many casualties this war inflicted. At this point, the United Nations appears to be inutile in convincing both sides to come to the negotiating table.

Iran produces 11.3 percent of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) output. This looks insignificant but with a conflict of this magnitude the supply chain is in peril. The most important sea route of oil tankers is the Strait of Hormuz which is controlled by Iran. Thirty percent of the world’s oil supply passes this route daily so one can imagine the impact if the supply is disrupted. Already, our oil firms have increased their prices for various oil products.

Given the nonchalance of our national leadership for the overarching impact of the Israel-Iran war on our country, let us brace for more problems than already beset the Philippines. There is no perceptible move on the part of the government to mitigate a possible crunch in our oil supply. What is shocking is President Marcos saying he is not yet ordering a mandatory repatriation of Filipinos from Israel and Iran.

The biggest threat to the country amid the looming crises is the lackadaisical attitude of the tenant in Malacañang, in the House of Romualdez, and the Senate, which are now so enmeshed in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, unmindful of the fate of thousands of OFWs in the warring countries.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture is flooding the market with highly subsidized imported rice at P20 per kilo, a stupid move that effectively devastates the local farmers whose fresh harvests of palay are now being bought at from ₱P8 to ₱P12 per kilo, “take it or leave it.”

The cry of the farmers against the oppressive indifference of their own government has become so loud that the decibels cannot be heard by the numbed officials who would rather go with their penchant to import rather than to patronize our farmers’ produce at a fair and just price.

One of these days, God forbid, we might have an internal conflict of our own.