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. “For our local governments, many non-essential activities that use oil can be temporarily banned, such as festival parades,” 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. “Buy local products first to strengthen the local economy and reduce the impact of rising oil prices,” 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. “But the responsibility to protect consumers is more than just our government agencies tasked with this, act now… Make inspections regular and shut down erring businesses,” Duterte added. The Vice President also suggested temporary subsidies and price caps on basic commodities to help vulnerable sectors. “Consider targeted cash transfers to low-income families. Provide advisories on fuel-efficient food distribution and incentives for public transportation,” she said. “We will find a way to ease our burden—through community cooperation, supporting local products, and being careful with our spending and energy use.” 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.
