There still 25 Filipinos in Ukraine. It might be best to assume it is by choice. Either they are married or have jobs there.
For those married there, no other choice but to stick things out with your family.
For those who have jobs, it is better to have one in a war zone than coming home in the land of the jobless. People are being laid off here by the thousands.
Being jobless means having to constantly deal with a nagging wife who would have every reason to be so. The wretched feeling that comes with that would be worsened by the sight of one’s small kids who might be unable to go to school. While a parent would be willing to work so hard for the educational needs of the kids, nothing much could be done about that if there are no jobs around.
Worst if having gone abroad before the Ukraine-Russia war involved having had to raise so much money. That could only mean a lot of debts were incurred to be able to finally leave the country in the hope of having a better future for one’s family. Your father’s carabao could have been even sold for that purpose.
Coming home, therefore, could entail having to face a daily basis a beeline of creditors, mostly usurers, to call on your debts.
Certainly, those who would be facing these if they came home would rather risk the chance of having the good luck of not being hit by one of the Russian missile bombs constantly flying on Ukraine’s skies.
For coming home would even be worse.**