Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday urged government agencies to “act now” as she proposed measures to cushion the expected economic impact of a possible major pump price hike next week driven by tensions in the Middle East.
In a message posted on her Facebook page, Duterte called on local government units (LGUs) to conserve fuel and energy by limiting non-essential activities that consume oil.
“Para sa ating mga lokal na pamahalaan, marami sa mga non-essential na mga aktibidad na gumagamit ng langis ang pwedeng ipagbawal muna, tulad ng parada sa festival,” she said.
The Vice President also urged LGUs to form monitoring committees that would track the prices of basic commodities and ensure that traders do not take advantage of the situation.
Duterte added that strengthening support for local farmers and suppliers could help ease the impact of rising fuel costs.
“Bumili muna sa lokal na produkto upang palakasin ang lokal na ekonomiya at mabawasan ang epekto ng pagtaas ng langis,” she said, encouraging the public to reduce unnecessary energy use by carpooling, cycling, and planning trips more efficiently.
She also reminded government agencies responsible for consumer protection to strictly enforce regulations.
“Ngunit, ang responsibilidad na protektahan ang mga mamimili ay higit pa sa ating mga ahensya ng gobyerno na may tungkulin dito, kumilos na kayo… Gawing regular ang inspeksyon at isarado ang mga lalabag na negosyante,” Duterte added.
The Vice President also suggested temporary subsidies and price caps on basic commodities to help vulnerable sectors.
“Isaalang-alang ang targeted cash transfers sa low-income na pamilya. Magbigay ng advisory sa fuel-efficient na distribution ng pagkain at insentibo sa pampublikong transportasyon,” she said.
“Makakahanap tayo ng paraan upang mapagaan ang ating pasanin—sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulungan sa komunidad, pagtangkilik sa lokal na produkto, at pagiging maingat sa ating paggastos at paggamit ng enerhiya.”
Duterte’s statement came a day after the Department of Energy warned that diesel prices could exceed ₱80 per liter this month if tensions in the Middle East continue to push global oil prices higher.
Based on the first three days of trading this week, oil industry sources estimate that gasoline prices could rise by ₱7.09 per liter and diesel by ₱15.33 per liter next week.
