More reason to pray

Just how concerned are you about what has happened in Iran and Israel? Most people, especially those who were not around in the 70s, will probably adopt the "not in our region, not our problem."

- CITO BELTRAN

Others might think there's no point in thinking about it because "I" can't do anything about it. Unfortunately, whether you like it or not, we will all be "collateral damage" or impacted by the Iran-Israel conflict.

If forecasts are correct, all of us who drive cars, use Grab services, operate businesses dependent on vehicles using diesel and gasoline are expected to experience a disturbing rise in the cost of fossil fuel. Unfortunately, that is only the impact of the initial exchange of missile and drone attacks. But as Prof. Alex Magno pointed out in his column last Saturday, things could escalate easily, and God forbid if other "players" join the rumble to regional crumble.

The worst thing all of us can do is to sit and watch the conflict the same way we watch sporting events and fictional wars on TV. It is good to be informed but it is even better to be prepared for the consequences of war.

The first hint was the impact on airline travel and routes. When missiles start flying, airlines and pilots all try to get out of harm's way. But in doing that, our wallets get harmed by higher airline fares and longer flights.

We don't think much of it but for an OFW-dependent country, such regional conflicts also affect future deployment of OFWs and seafarers. That will surely affect future remittances as well as the economy.