A temporary shift to a work-from-home set-up and online classes for students could help mitigate the impact of the potential massive fuel price surge resulting from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Thus, said Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan even as he and his House colleagues scrambled to help the Marcos administration provide venues for relief for Filipinos.

“We should act fast to ease the burden on our countrymen if oil prices continue to spike. We call on the government and the private sector to start planning the temporary transition to work-from-home setups for employees, and for schools to prepare for online classes,” Yamsuan said.  

“These are the steps that we can immediately take para makatulong sa ating mga kababayang unang tatamaan ng epekto nang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis kung magtagal pa ang krisis sa Middle East,” Yamsuan said.

(These are the steps we can immediately take to help our fellow citizens who will be the first to feel the impact of the continued rise in oil prices if the crisis in the Middle East drags on.)

He said the transport sector would be among the first to feel the impact of fuel price shocks, which could further burden the public already reeling from the high prices of basic goods.

Meanwhile, Yamsuan has joined the growing number of congressmen who have been calling for the grant of emergency powers to President Marcos, so that he could temporarily reduce excise tax rates on fuel products.

“We are all hoping that the US-Israeli conflict with Iran would be resolved soon. But if tensions escalate, we need to be prepared to ease the economic burden of our countrymen who would have to bear the brunt of the effects of the possible sustained spike in fuel prices,” said the legislator from Parañaque City.

Yamsuan welcomed reports that the President was ready to certify as urgent the measure that aims to grant such special powers.

Senator Bam Aquino filed a version of the emergency powers bill the Senate, while in the House of Representatives, Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Miro Quimbo led the introduction of such measure.

“The President’s call for emergency powers to authorize him to temporarily reduce, if not suspend, the excise taxes on fuel products is a proactive step to protect our economy and our countrymen, especially low-income Filipinos who will suffer the most,” Yamsuan explained.

Goldman Sachs has painted a grim scenario of Brent crude reaching $100 per barrel if the conflict is not resolved soon. Brent is a leading benchmark for the global crude oil commodity market.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), prices of petroleum products could increase by P10 per liter in the coming weeks if the Middle East conflict continues, as it assured the public that it is now coordinating with oil companies to implement staggered fuel price increases.