VP Sara calls on gov't agencies to 'act now' amid expected major fuel price hikes

Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday urged government agencies to "act now" as she made some suggestions amid the expected economic impact of a possible major pump price hike next week due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

In a message released on her Facebook page, Duterte urged local government units to conserve fuel and energy.

"Para sa ating mga lokal na pamahalaan, marami sa mga non-essential na mga aktibidad na gumagamit ng langis ang pwedeng ipagbawal muna, tulad ng parada sa festival," Duterte said. 

(For our local governments, many non-essential activities that use fuel may be temporarily banned, such as festival parades.)

She also urged LGUs to "form committees that will keep an eye on prices of basic commodities."

Duterte also said that boosting support to local farmers and suppliers would also help ease the impact of expected pump price hikes.

"Bumili muna sa lokal na produkto upang palakasin ang lokal na ekonomiya at mabawasan ang epekto ng pagtaas ng langis. Bawasan ang hindi kailangang paggamit ng enerhiya tulad ng pag-carpooling, bisikleta at pwedeng ayusin ang schedule ng lakad upang mabawasan ang madalas na pagbiyahe," Duterte said.

(Buy local products to strengthen the local economy and reduce the impact of rising oil prices. Reduce unnecessary energy use and practice carpooling, bicycle use, and adjusting your schedule to reduce frequent travel.)

"Ngunit, ang responsibilidad na protektahan ang mga mamimili ay higit pa sa ating mga ahensya ng gobyerno na may tungkulin dito, kumilos na kayo... Gawing regular ang inspeksyon at isarado ang mga lalabag na negosyante," she added.

(However, the responsibility to protect consumers goes beyond our government agencies that are tasked with this, it's time to act. Conduct regular inspections regular and close down violators.)

The Vice President also raised the possibility of temporary subsidies and putting price caps on basic commodities. 

"Isaalang-alang ang targeted cash transfers sa low-income na pamilya. Magbigay ng advisory sa fuel-efficient na distribution ng pagkain at insentibo sa pampublikong transportasyon," Duterte said. 

(Consider targeted cash transfers to low-income families. Provide advisory on fuel-efficient food distribution and incentives for public transportation.)

"Makakahanap tayo ng paraan upang mapagaan ang ating pasanin—sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulungan sa komunidad, pagtangkilik sa lokal na produkto, at pagiging maingat sa ating paggastos at paggamit ng enerhiya."

(We can find ways to lighten our burden—by working together in our communities, supporting local products, and being mindful of our spending and energy use.)

Duterte's statement comes a day after the Department of Energy (DOE) projected that the price of diesel may exceed eighty pesos per liter this month if there are no staggered price adjustments amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Based on the first three days of trading this week, oil industry sources expect prices per liter of gasoline to be hiked by P7.09, and diesel by P15.33 next week. —VAL, GMA Integrated News