MANILA – The government is shifting from immediate crisis response to a recovery plan as fuel prices remain high and volatile amid the prolonged global oil shock, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDEV) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Monday.
Balisacan presented the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) action plan during a public hearing by the Senate Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee.
“Our objective is to ensure stability and continuity in economic activity while we prepare for recovery from the shocks brought about by the global situation,” Balisacan said.
“We are moving beyond short-term interventions and working toward a more resilient system that can withstand similar disruptions in the future."
The UPLIFT plan outlines a whole-of-government approach to sustain economic activity and protect vulnerable sectors, including fuel subsidies and logistics support for farmers and fisherfolk, expanded transport assistance for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, and social protection measures such as cash aid for low-income households.
In the energy sector, the government is implementing supply stabilization measures such as securing oil supply, monitoring against hoarding and profiteering, and promoting energy conservation, while studying longer-term options including biofuel imports and strategic fuel reserves.
Sen. Win Gatchalian, who chairs the panel, underscored the need to translate plans into concrete outcomes.
“Dahil hindi na sapat ang plano. Kailangan nating makakita ng resulta (Plans are no longer enough. We need to see results),” Gatchalian said.
He noted that 45 days into the crisis, fuel prices remain unpredictable, leaving Filipinos burdened by both rising costs and uncertainty.
Gatchalian said only about 43 percent of PUV drivers have received fuel subsidies so far, highlighting gaps in implementation.
The government has set aside around PHP238 billion to fund transport subsidies, agricultural support, and social protection programs, with a portion already released and the rest available for deployment.
Balisacan said the UPLIFT plan aims to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential goods and services, sustain employment, and safeguard vulnerable sectors while laying the groundwork for economic recovery.
Group: Joint exploration deals must protect PH interest
Meanwhile, civil society group 1Sambayan stressed that Philippine interests must remain paramount in any agreement with any foreign state in the exploration, development and utilization (EDU) of oil and gas within the country's exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement Monday, the group said the agreement should also contain the following conditions:
--The agreement must expressly recognize that the oil and gas belong to the Philippine state;
--The EDU of the oil and gas must be embodied in a Service Contract under Presidential Decree No. 87 (Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972) as amended; and
--The service contract must be governed by Philippine law.
The group said these conditions make such an agreement compliant with the Philippine Constitution, the 2016 Arbitral Award, and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that voided the 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) among Philippine, Chinese and Vietnamese oil firms in the South China Sea.
The high court said the JMSU violated the 1987 Constitution by allowing foreign-owned corporations to explore national resources without full state supervision. (with a report from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
