Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo has put a figure on the government’s firepower against the ongoing fuel price crisis — P238 billion in available funds drawn from the 2026 national budget and unspent appropriations from the past two fiscal years.
Toledo disclosed the amount before the House Legislative Energy Action Development Council on Wednesday, a body composed of 13 House committees chaired by the ways and means panel.
Farmers and fisherfolk are among the first to receive concrete relief, with roughly P10 billion already released under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fishermen program to cushion the impact of rising production and logistics expenses.
Transport operators have also received early disbursements — P2.5 billion for transport assistance and P1 billion for service contracting, both aimed at keeping public utility vehicles on the road despite surging fuel costs.
Individuals in financial distress can access support through the Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situations program, with disbursements ongoing as agencies file their requests. Overseas Filipino workers, meanwhile, are covered under allocations coursed through the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Toledo acknowledged that the scale of available funds must be matched by careful deployment. “The assistance must be targeted to those who are most vulnerable,” he said.
The acting budget chief also signaled that the administration plans to draw down on these funds with both speed and discipline. “To respond to the crisis we are experiencing, we have identified around P238 billion from available appropriations,” Toledo said.
