The Philippines may be the first country to declare a State of National Energy Emergency amid the Middle East standoff, a move that Senator Francis Escudero on Thursday said reflects preparedness rather than vulnerability.
In an official statement, Escudero called for a coordinated national response, urging agencies, schools, local governments, and businesses to act under a unified government framework to protect families and sustain the economy.
“The global energy landscape is shifting and we cannot afford fragmented responses. To protect the Filipino family and keep our economy moving, all sectors must contribute to a coordinated plan,” he said.
The former Senate chief welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signing of Executive Order No. 110, which implemented the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport for sectors affected by the energy crisis.
He also supported the Energy Regulatory Commission’s suspension of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Escudero also called on the Department of Trade and Industry and other agencies to encourage businesses, including restaurants and hospitality establishments, to practice responsible energy use.
A lawmaker, meanwhile, proposed temporary measures such as suspending fuel excise taxes to cushion the impact of rising oil prices but said these cannot replace deeper structural reforms.
“We cannot keep firefighting the same crisis every time global markets move,” Rep. Brian Poe said. “The long-term solution is clear. We must diversify our energy mix, accelerate renewable deployment, and modernize our grid,” the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list representative added.
Poe made the statement as he expressed support for House Speaker Faustino Dy III’s push for fuel excise tax relief, warning that the Philippines is at a “critical energy crossroads” amid global tensions, volatile oil prices, and structural weaknesses in the power sector.
He said the passage of the fuel excise tax relief bill, which President Marcos signed into law Wednesday as Republic Act 12316, was necessary to cushion Filipinos from the cascading effects of global oil shocks.
Poe noted that fuel price volatility is already translating into higher transport fares, rising food prices, and increased costs for farmers, fisherfolk, and small enterprises.
“The reality is stark. When global oil prices spike, our entire economy feels the shock,” he said.
“Families pay more for electricity. Workers spend more on transport. Businesses struggle with higher operating costs. Growth slows and opportunities shrink,” Poe stressed.
Drawing from a recent lecture at the London School of Economics, Poe said the Philippines has vast untapped renewable energy resources, including more than 655,000 megawatts of hydropower potential and nearly 94,000 megawatts of onshore wind capacity.
He said harnessing these resources could reduce dependence on imported fuel while strengthening national resilience and delivering economic gains, including an estimated 300,000 green jobs and up to P5.8 trillion in investments.
Poe also warned that an outdated, baseload-centric energy strategy reliant on large, inflexible fossil fuel plants increases the risk of outages and recurring grid alerts.
