Senators on Tuesday backed calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a state of national emergency as global oil disruptions threaten the Philippine economy and deepen the burden on Filipino households.
The Senate convened a hearing of the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) committee to craft measures addressing soaring fuel prices and supply uncertainty caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Sen. Bam Aquino said many lawmakers support invoking emergency powers to allow the government to act swiftly, including regulating prices of essential goods and ensuring adequate supply.
He stressed that while aid for public transport drivers is ongoing, broader authority is needed to respond effectively to what he described as a prolonged crisis already affecting Filipino families.
“Under a state of national emergency, we can implement measures to regulate the prices of essential goods and ensure that there is sufficient supply in our market,” Aquino said.
The senator added that healthcare workers should also receive targeted subsidies to sustain hospital services and proposed a comprehensive repatriation and reintegration program for overseas Filipino workers.
For his part, Sen. JV Ejercito said the crisis is already affecting minimum wage earners, transport workers, overseas Filipinos, and breadwinners
“We do not know how long this crisis will last or how far it will go, so the preparation of our government and its agencies must be just as extensive, and our response must go beyond short-term relief,” he said, calling for systemic protections beyond immediate aid.
The lawmaker also emphasized the need for urgent and coordinated government action similar to pandemic-era preparations amid uncertainty over how long the crisis will last.
“With the continued rise in the prices of goods, the ball is now in the President’s hands, as he has the authority to suspend or reduce excise taxes on oil,” Ejercito said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the situation should be used to strengthen food and energy security systems.
“Our mandate is clear: to protect food, energy, jobs, and daily life, especially for the most vulnerable. This is not just about responding to a crisis; it is time to fix the system and strengthen the country’s self-reliance,” Pangilinan said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros likewise called on the administration to acknowledge the gravity of the situation and present a clear contingency plan if conditions worsen.
“We should no longer wait for the turmoil in the Middle East to subside before taking full action. Together, let us show that in times of danger, there is a government ready to support, assist, and protect Filipino families,” Hontiveros said.
Finally, PROTECT committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said lawmakers consider the situation a crisis due to uncertainty in supply, despite existing reserves of about 53 days for gasoline and six days for diesel.
“Nearly three weeks have passed, yet we still do not have a unified and coordinated national contingency plan. No funds or supplemental budget can be approved lightly, as all of these must still go through Congress, so the plan must be clear and singular; agencies cannot act on their own,” Gatchalian reminded.
