Visiting Manila in March of 2026 was a bit like stepping into an alternate universe. Trump’s attack of Iran had lead to a rapid increase in fuel costs. In a city with much lower per-capita income than the US, the price of fuel, which is similar to the price in the US, is felt deeply by everyone. Listening to podcasts talking about “winners and losers” of the war may invariably mention Southeast Asia’s dependence on imported fuels, but failed to really capture the experience of being in the region at this time.
Here is a conversation I had with my Grab driver on my way to the airport.
March 12th, 2026 — Manila
Driver
Brother what’s your president doing right now?
Me
Hey man, I really think it’s crazy.
Driver
Why is he making war for no reason? The price of gas is so high now!
Me
Silence
Driver
Each time I drive Grab I lose money sir.
Me
Wait really??
Driver
Yes sir, it’s too expensive to drive for Grab right now but I have no choice.
Me
Wouldn’t it be better to go home to Visayas if you’re losing money here?
Driver
In Visayas life is beautiful, but there is no way to make money. If I work a whole day, I make 80 pesos only ($1.50). I don’t like to live in Manila but I will make 1000 pesos ($17) every day.
Hitting traffic — driver takes an early exit to find an alternate route.
Me
By the way, I have a lot of time to get to the airport so we don’t need to rush.
Driver
I am in a rush sir — I need to give as many rides as I can.
Me
That’s true..
Driver
I need to take the next ride quickly to make any money sir.
Me
*ups tip silently*
I’ve been thinking about other ways actions driven by the US can have a negative impact on the Philippines. I wonder what conversation I might have with the driver in a year or two. Is there a slightly alternate version of this song and dance in our near future?
Driver
Brother, what is happening with all these layoffs?
Me
Hey man it really is crazy – one of my friends here is also looking for a job now.
Driver
My daughter and nephews all got fired this week.
Me
What did they do for work?
Driver
My daughter works for airline customer service.
Me
Oh is this because of AI?
Driver
The whole call center was shut down and there’s no jobs for her now. Just last year she was excited when she started there.
Me
Yeah, I know people in India who also have lost their jobs in customer service too. I think companies are trying to use AI more and more.
Driver
Manila is so expensive and my daughter is supporting us with her salary only. Driving for Grab is not enough to live in Manila.
Me
Silence
Driver
My nephew was a branding consultant but that job is gone too.
Me
…What was his job?
Driver
He edited videos for social media for many international companies sir.
Me
Oh I see — maybe those companies are making their own videos now?
Driver
His company closed and there’s no jobs for him or any of his friends.
Me
Yeah I think their clients are making their own videos now using AI tools.
Driver
These companies just came to BGC a few years ago. Now they are all closing and we are back to having nothing.
Me
*ups tip silently*
Leave a comment