As the Middle East war stretches into its fifth week, leaving some of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE with reduced incomes, forced leaves, or stalled livelihoods, a wave of compassion and collective action is sweeping through the Filipino community — and it has a name that every Filipino knows by heart: bayanihan.
Private individuals and Filipino-owned businesses across the UAE have been quietly, and sometimes loudly, stepping up to do what they have always done in times of hardship — look after their own.
Livelihoods on hold
Since the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, 2026, the UAE has been navigating a volatile security environment marked by repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks, airspace disruptions, and precautionary shutdowns across various industries. While the country’s banking sector and financial infrastructure have continued operating normally, sectors dependent on daily foot traffic, tourism, and retail have felt the pinch — and for many OFWs employed in these spaces, the consequences have been immediate and personal.
Many Filipino workers find themselves either on a no-work-no-pay arrangement, on forced leave without pay, or with their duties placed on hold as businesses scale back operations in response to the ongoing regional conflict. With families back home in the Philippines depending on their monthly remittances, the financial pressure has been acute.
The first to raise her hand
Among the earliest to respond was Donna Cepe, the personality and content creator behind the popular Facebook vlog page Sabi ni Donna, which has built a following among Filipinos both in the UAE and across the diaspora for its sharp, community-rooted content.
Cepe, along with friends and supporters who rallied behind her initiative, began distributing grocery packages across districts densely populated by Filipino residents — including Al Rigga, Satwa, and Burjuman. The distributions, coordinated through her Facebook page, have provided essential staples to kababayans who have found themselves stretched thin by the economic disruptions of the conflict.
“The schedules and venue for each distribution are posted on social media so that those in need know exactly where to go,” a model others in the community have since followed.
Establishments open their doors
Cepe’s initiative appears to have sparked a broader movement, with Filipino-owned establishments joining the bayanihan brigade.
On the evening of April 4, 2026, La Tres Bar & Lounge — a popular Filipino night-out destination — witnessed a long queue forming outside its venue as community members lined up to receive grocery packages that included rice and canned goods. The sight of fellow Filipinos lined up, not for entertainment, but for basic sustenance, was a sobering but also heartening image of solidarity in action.
Also on April 4, Filipino restaurant and community hub Maria Paz announced the launch of its first wave of grocery distribution — with a promise of more to come. “With more to come in the coming weeks,” the establishment stated in a Facebook post, signalling that this is not a one-time gesture but a sustained commitment to the community through what may be a prolonged period of uncertainty.
Both establishments are posting their schedules and distribution venues on their respective Facebook pages, urging those in need to follow for updates on when and where the next distribution will take place, while supplies last.
An echo of 2020
For many long-time UAE residents, the scenes feel achingly familiar. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Filipino community in the UAE demonstrated the same spirit — with private individuals organizing food drives and support networks through Facebook groups such as “Helping Hands,” providing aid to over 300 individuals, and community platforms like Freecycle Abu Dhabi becoming rallying points for sharing resources among OFWs who had been made redundant or removed from work during the lockdowns.
Those in need of assistance are encouraged to follow the Facebook pages of Sabi ni Donna, La Tres Bar & Lounge, and Maria Paz for updated schedules and distribution venues. Distributions are ongoing while supplies last.
