THE House of Representatives is fast-tracking a package of measures to address rising fuel costs, with legislation expected to be ready when Congress resumes session on May 4, 2026.
Among the reforms being considered are incentives to promote cleaner and more sustainable transport, including support for electric vehicles and related industries.
The Legislative Energy Action Development (Lead) Council, a multi-committee body tasked with aligning immediate relief and long-term reforms as oil prices continue to climb amid tensions in the Middle East, is leading the push to approve the measures.
Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo, chair of the Committee on Ways and Means and presiding officer of the Lead Council, said lawmakers are working through the break to ensure that concrete measures are in place once sessions resume.
“By the end of the month, when we start formal sessions in the first week of May, we will already have proposed measures that will address our urgent needs today,” Quimbo said in a mix of English and Tagalog during a radio interview on Saturday, April 11.
He said the House has been holding extended, back-to-back hearings, even during the congressional break that began March 21, to speed up the process and deliver results.
The planned legislation, Quimbo said, will address both immediate relief from the oil price shock and structural reforms to reduce the country’s vulnerability to global price swings.
“This includes providing incentives to come up with a new car program that will promote electric vehicle use not only in government, but also by offering incentives without requiring the government to shell out cash,” Quimbo said.
He added that the goal is to create a policy environment that encourages private sector investment in emerging industries such as electric vehicles, battery production and other alternatives to fossil fuels.
The Lead Council, composed of 13 House committees, is serving as the central platform for the House’s coordinated response, with lawmakers aiming to roll out both short-term relief and long-term solutions to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on Filipinos. / PNA
