Rico Tindoy, 62, is an Antipoleño who spent more than two decades working as a caregiver in Israel.

For more than 20 years, he did not come home, opting instead to save his salary to provide food, shelter, and a decent lifestyle for his family. Like many overseas Filipino workers, Rico watched his three children grow up, get married, and build their own families through the magic of the internet and online platforms. He knew he had to make the sacrifice and embrace the difficult choice of being away from his loved ones for the sake of their well-being and future.

Like many Filipino caregivers, Rico won the affection of his Israeli employers. They rewarded his decision to stay in Israel and look after the elderly members of their families.

Since he was among the first Filipinos to land caregiving roles in Israel, Rico was looked up to as a highly respected godfather of sorts by his countrymen who were employed in similar jobs in that Middle Eastern country. He looked after them and they returned the care. For Rico, that somehow eased the pain of being separated from his own family. That pain, it was clear to him, was the price he had to pay for the sake of the relatively comfortable life his children had come to know.

Rico survived the tensions in Israel which came in the wake of the incursion of Hamas forces into Israel a few years ago. He survived the conflict in the years that followed after Israeli Defense Forces launched an invasion into Gaza to recover the hostages and to exact vengeance on their foes.

The rising tension between Israel and Iran late last year, however, proved to be too much of a danger for Rico and many of his compatriots. In December of last year, he made the difficult decision to pack up his things, bid farewell to his Israeli hosts, and return to an uncertain future in the Philippines — to a modest home he built in Cogeo with the earnings he saved as a caregiver.

Rico’s story is similar to the many accounts of Filipinos who had to leave Israel to avoid the perils of an all-out war. He heaved a sigh of relief as he watched news reports of missiles landing in Israel, close to where he once lived.

Rico’s story also illustrates the fact that an armed conflict raging thousands of miles away from our shores could directly affect us. As tensions rose in the Middle East, the future of many Filipino families relying on the income of members working in that region suffered.

This proves the point that we are not spared from the fallout arising from conflicts in other countries. The world is one big community. What happens in one part of the globe shapes the fate of those who live in distant corners of our conflict-ridden planet.

Yesterday, we welcomed the news of a drop in gasoline pump prices, following several weeks of sharp increases in petroleum products.

The Department of Energy (DoE) attributed the downward trend to the easing of tensions in the Middle East. This came in the wake of news reports that the truce between Israel and Iran seems to be holding up. This development salved fears that the conflict between the two countries could escalate, imperiling the global supply of precious oil. We recall a time when the world was gripped by collective anxiety over the looming threat of an all-out war in that oil-rich region — a conflict that could disrupt the global supply of such a vital commodity.

We do not know how long the ceasefire will hold. We are praying it will.

Yesterday’s welcome news about the downward trend in fuel prices is proof that when warring countries give peace a chance, such development also has a direct effect on us and the rest of the world.

For countries that depend on imported energy, we are happy that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and that the transportation of oil and oil products will not be disrupted. Meanwhile, while the smoke of conflict starts to clear, countries affected by the 12-day war will now have to assess the damage to their respective economies.

While we celebrate the downward movement in fuel prices, we must remind ourselves that this semblance of peace in the conflict areas is temporary. We must continue to hope that the truce will hold and will evolve into a permanent peace pact. We include in our prayers the hope that the war between Russia and Ukraine will soon find a resolution. That hope borders on a wish for a miracle. We badly need one.

Meanwhile, we also hope that the other “casualties of conflict” – the likes of Rico – would be able to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible. Last we heard, Rico has started to use his precious savings to start his own small transportation business. True to his being a Filipino, Rico has refused to let the tragedy of war define his future and that of his family. He has picked up the pieces and stands tall today as he rebuilds both his life and his dreams.

We are proud of him and other OFWs who have weathered the fallout of the conflict in the Middle East and who have now summoned the will to mark a new beginning in their lives.

As we hope for the end of present-day wars, we are reminded of what the late US President Abraham Lincoln said: “There is no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. This is nothing good in war, except its ending.”