April 11, 2026
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) expresses our deepest concern over the escalating war with Iran. This moment is not about choosing sides. It is about choosing humanity.
We must remember that behind every headline, there are 2.4 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) living and working across the Middle East whose lives and livelihoods hang in the balance, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is home to one of the largest Filipino populations abroad. An additional 115 million people in the Philippines are also facing the enormous economic fallout of this instability.
As Pope Leo has reminded the world, “war is never a solution” but a “failure of humanity.” He has called all parties to “assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss.” We join in Pope Leo’s prayer for peace.
As Filipinos, our hearts are always with our people – especially our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and kababayan scattered across the world, over 10 million in the diaspora – many of whom stand on the frontlines of global crises not by choice, but by necessity so they can support their families – their children and elders back home in the Philippines. When conflict rises, it is these families who worry, who wait for messages, who pray through the night for the safety of their fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters. At the same time, Filipino Americans serve in significant numbers in the U.S. military, meaning our community may also be called into harm’s way.
War is not who we are. We come from a people shaped by often violent struggles, but also by deep compassion. The Philippines opened its doors to Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust and welcomed Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War, choosing humanity over conflict. Our values of kapwa remind us that every life is connected. Our spirit of bayanihan calls us to lift each other up, not tear communities apart. War breaks these bonds. It separates families, endangers the innocent, and leaves wounds that last for generations.
Filipinos know what it means to withstand hardship – we have endured through colonization, imperialism, war, and the struggle for independence. We also know the power of choosing peace. NaFFAA therefore stands in unity with our global community and other organizations in calling for de-escalation, diplomacy, and the prioritization of human life and dignity. We call on leaders to remember the lives at stake – not as numbers, but as children, mothers and fathers, kuyas and ates, manongs and manangs.
Our priority remains the safety and well-being of Filipinos everywhere in the diaspora.
In this pivotal moment, we choose peace. We choose each other.
For inquiries, contact:
Mark Eyo, Communications Lead
mark.eyo@naffaa.org
Since 1997, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) has been the standard-bearer for promoting the welfare and well-being of the four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States. NaFFAA is the largest non-partisan, non-profit organization and national affiliation of Filipino American institutions, umbrella organizations, and individuals. Its fourteen-member regions cover the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands.