Energy efficiency will be a key aspect of the envisioned "Bayanihan 3" bill, Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Miro Quimbo said as the House of Representatives readies to craft the measure.

Quimbo, in a virtual press conference Tuesday, March 31 said the Philippines must pursue alternative sources of energy and establish a national petroleum reserve— long-term measures that will help the country cushion the impact of oil price shocks and mitigate disruptions in petroleum supply.

Quimbo has said the ongoing oil crisis triggered by the war on Iran should make Filipinos realize that heavy reliance on imported petroleum products has made the country extremely vulnerable to geopolitical events that are beyond its control.

Among the measures being eyed is the accelerated development of alternative energy sources, such as geothermal and natural gas which are domestically available.

“We need to be able to fast-track itong mga alternative sources of energy na ito kasi this how we are [going] to thrive or survive this,” Quimbo said.

Along with the urgent shift to alternative energy sources, Quimbo is pushing for the establishment of a national fuel reserve to prepare and protect the country against future oil crisis.

“Kailangan din natin mag-imbak [ng petrolyo], na may sarili ang gobyerno, para nasisigurado natin ang supply, nakukuha natin ng mura, at naitatabi natin ‘yan in case of any emergency,” Quimbo said.

(We also need to store petroleum, owned by the government itself, so we can ensure the supply, acquire it at a lower cost, and set it aside in case of any emergency.)

Quimbo expressed hoped that these measures would be taken up before the adjournment of the first regular session of the 20th Congress in the first week of June.

Last Sunday, House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III convened the chairpersons of 13 House committees for an emergency meeting to craft a unified and resilient government response to the ongoing oil price crisis as well as similar future shocks.

The are the Committees on Agriculture, Appropriations, Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources, Economic Affairs; Energy; Foreign Affairs; Information and Communications Technology; Labor and Employment, Overseas Workers Affairs, Social Services, Trade and Industry, Transportation, Ways and Means.

Quimbo has said that he believes the end product of this collaborative effort among the 13 House panels would be the Bayanihan 3 law.

In his speech during Cauayan City’s 25th cityhood anniversary celebration on Monday night, Speaker Dy also touched on the Philippines’ heavy dependence on fuel imports and how it turned into a disadvantage during times of crisis.

“Alam n’yo po, 95 percent ay nag-iimport po tayo, very dependent tayo sa petroleum products, kaya dapat may mga alternatives tayo (You know, 95 percent of our supply is imported—we are very dependent on petroleum products, which is why we need alternatives),” Dy said.

The Speaker from Isabela's 6th district said natural gas, for example, holds potential as a viable alternative energy that could help reduce reliance on oil imports, noting that significant reserves are found in parts of the province, including Santiago, San Isidro, and Echague.

“Ito po ay mga pwedeng alternative na power para sa ganon kung saka-sakali man na muli kung huminto ito at magkaroon ulit ng crisis ay kahit papaano mayroon tayong ibang mga alternatibo na hindi dapat tayo umaasa sa produktong oil na nanggagaling pa doon sa Middle East,” Dy said.

(These are possible alternative sources of power so that, if ever this stops again and another crisis arises, we will at least have other options and not rely solely on oil products coming from the Middle East.)