A lawmaker is sounding the alarm as the country grapples with a deepening energy and cost-of-living crisis caused by skyrocketing fuel prices that threatens every Filipino household.
With diesel prices breaching the P150 mark and LPG hitting a staggering P1,600 per tank, Senator Bam Aquino said the government can no longer afford to wait.
In the recent Senate Committee on Agriculture hearing, Aquino laid out the unfolding grim reality to the Philippine economy caused by the Middle East conflict.
He noted that the Philippines is seeing some of the highest fuel hikes globally with diesel up nearly 60% in just one month. Aquino emphasized it’s about the farmers and fisherfolk who feed the nation.
“Apatnapung araw na ang nakalipas mula nang nagsimula ang krisis… Ramdam na ramdam po ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino ang bigat ng sunod-sunod na pagtaas ng presyo, sino po ang pinaka nasasaktan? Siyempre po ang ating mga maliliit na negosyo. Mga tsuper, mga arawan na isang kayod, isang tuka. Ang mga nagtitinda po sa palengke na araw-araw ay pasan ang bigat ng renta sa pwesto. Ang bawat pisong pambayad sa renta o mahal nalangis ay direktong bawas sa kakarampot na kita nila na pambili ng pagkain ng kanilang pamilya,” he said.
Aquino warned that even if the Middle East conflict is on a ceasefire, he explains that the high cost of fuel and fertilizerswhich have jumped P800 per bag will hit market stalls by July or August.
The senator criticized the delay in suspending the excise tax and VAT on petroleum, pointing out that neighbors like Vietnam and India have already moved to slash taxes, while countries like Pakistan and Ethiopia are resorting to school closures and subsidies to survive.
He also cited hospital power outages in Cuba and school closures in Pakistan as a glimpse of what could happen if the government fails to act with urgency.
“Kailangang mabilis tayong gumalaw dito. Hindi tayo pwedeng papatay-patay. Kasi if we don’t move, if we don’t do the necessary programs, everyone will suffer,” Aquino said.
Aquino is calling for the immediate implementation of the excise tax removal on fuel and a clear update on the suspension of VAT on petroleum products. He also urged the government to look beyond subsidies and ensure the stability of medicine supplies as inflation jumps to 4.1%.
He is also calling for immediate intervention to protect three pillars — markets, hospitals and schools. He warns that without a fast-unified response to support the 6 million farmers and fishers, the entire nation will face a hunger crisis in the months to come.
“Huwag po nating hintayin ang punto na kailangan pong mamili ang taong bayan kung sino po sa kanila ang kakain sa kanilang pamilya. Agaran po ang ating aksyon para matigil po natin ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain. Paulit-ulit ako, kung wala tayong gagawin, ito yung posibleng mangyari: tataas yung presyo and yung production natin will go down,” he added.
