Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday called on local government units (LGUs), national agencies, and the public to adopt cost-saving measures and closely monitor prices, as rising oil costs threaten to push up the prices of food and other basic commodities.
“We will all feel the weight of rising prices, especially for food. But we as citizens and as a community still have something we can do. And the government still has more to do,” Duterte said in Filipino.
She said LGUs could temporarily suspend nonessential activities that consume fuel, explaining that they can issue internal austerity orders that would apply to all offices, including barangays.
The Vice President also urged local governments to form monitoring committees to track the prices of rice, cooking oil, transport fares, and other basic commodities affected by fuel costs, as well as to provide early advisories to consumers and businesses about possible price increases.
She likewise encouraged local officials to strengthen support for farmers and small suppliers to reduce reliance on imported goods, which could help cushion communities from sudden price spikes.
Similarly, Duterte urged national government agencies to intensify monitoring of oil prices and their impact on food and transportation, as well as to strictly enforce rules against hoarding and excessive price increases.
She said authorities should consider measures such as temporary subsidies or price caps on food products and targeted cash transfers for low-income families if necessary.
