Middle East war raises concerns on oil prices, EDCA — Gatchalian

The prices of petroleum products in the Philippines and the presence United States forces in military bases may be affected if the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Sunday.

“Para sa akin, hindi maganda ang timing. Nung 2025, ang baba ng ating economic growth, 4.4%, so this first quarter lang tinutulak ng  gobyerno pabilis yung government spending pero kung taas presyo ng langis, tatamaan naman yung ibang important bilihin tulad ng pahkain,” Gatchalian told Super Radyo dzBB.

(For me, the timing is not good. In 2025, our economic growth was low at 4.4%, so the government is only trying to accelerate spending in the first quarter. But if oil prices go up, it will affect other essential goods, such as food.)  

Prices of petroleum products are expected to increase next week, according to the Department of Energy.

Based on the four-day Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) trading, the estimated adjustments in fuel prices per liter for next week are the following:

• Gasoline - more or less increase of P1.10
• Diesel - more or less increase of P0.50
• Kerosene - more or less increase of P0.90

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, as US President Donald Trump accused Iran of continuing to develop its nuclear program.

Gatchalian said he sees no sign of a decline or slowdown in remittances from the Middle East, but continuous monitoring and assessment are in place to check the country’s economic situation.

EDCA sites

The senator also said the government should prioritize the Philippines’ interests before involving itself in the affairs of other countries, especially in relation to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

“Dapat bantayan ang sariling interest dahil tayo ay isang developing nation at importante na tuloy-tuloy ang pag unlad ng ating bansa, hindi tayo nasasali sa ganitong gulo dahil kung tayo ay masali napakahirap bumangon,” Gatchalian said.

(We should protect our own interests because we are a developing nation, and it is important for progress to continue in our country. We should avoid getting involved in such conflicts, because if we do, it will be very difficult to recover.)

EDCA sites are designated, pre-approved locations within existing Philippine military bases where U.S. troops can rotate, build, and operate facilities under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) earlier reported that Filipinos have so far remained safe after the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran, to which the Islamic republic retaliated with missile and drone attacks.

Gatchalian said that around P2 billion was allotted for the AKSYON Fund in the 2026 budget, which could be used to provide Filipinos with emergency assistance, including repatriation plans

The DMW said approximately 2.443 million Filipinos are in the Middle East. —RF, GMA Integrated News