Transport workers, commuters, and consumer groups are preparing a two-day walkout beginning Thursday to protest rising fuel costs and what they describe as inaction by the Marcos administration — even as the president moved to address the crisis by declaring a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday.
The executive order, which takes effect immediately and runs for one year, grants the government expanded authority to procure fuel and petroleum products and, when necessary, make advance payments on contracts to secure supply. Marcos cited the Middle East conflict as having introduced “imminent danger” to the country’s energy situation, describing how the fighting has driven oil prices higher and disrupted supply chains globally.
“The declaration of a state of national energy emergency will enable the government…to implement responsive and coordinated measures under existing laws to address the risks posed by disruptions in the global energy supply and the domestic economy,” Marcos said in the executive order.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin told reporters Tuesday that the Philippines currently holds around 45 days’ worth of fuel at existing consumption rates. She said the government is working to bring in one million barrels of oil from sources within and beyond Southeast Asia, though she acknowledged likely uncertainties in securing future orders.
A coordinating committee has been established under the declaration to oversee the movement, supply, distribution, and availability of not just fuel but also food, medicines, agricultural products, and other essential goods. Marcos separately directed the finance ministry, working with the central bank, to monitor the conflict’s effects on the peso, remittances, and the broader risk of currency depreciation.
Senators had already been pressing the administration over what they characterized as a fragmented and slow response to the oil price surge. The country’s economic planning minister has warned that the spike could push inflation to levels not seen in years and weigh on economic growth.
