We have seen this pattern before. A crisis hits, and at first, people freeze. Then slowly, almost quietly, behavior starts to shift. What feels temporary begins to leave permanent marks. We saw it during the pandemic; we are seeing it again now with rising oil prices. The current oil shock is about...
The Marcos administration has secured commitments from five nations to bolster its fuel inventory, with the Department of Energy (DOE) preparing to import more than one million barrels of diesel this April to shield the economy from global market volatility. In a briefing late Monday, March 30,...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is facing mounting pressure to abandon its steady policy stance as domestic and foreign lenders warn that persistent supply shocks are beginning to seep into the broader economy. A growing chorus of economists expects the BSP to raise its benchmark interest...
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it is working to plug gaps in its public utility vehicle (PUV) cash aid list, with more than 170,000 unlisted drivers being validated for possible inclusion in a special payout after Holy Week. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on...
Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez has filed the proposed Resilient Economy and Stabilization for Crisis and Urgent Emergencies (RESCUE) Act, in response to the persisting fuel price crisis. Benitez said the measure was designed to establish a more comprehensive and...
Philippines’ most influential business coalitions pledged on Monday, March 30, to ramp up investments in renewable energy and implement aggressive conservation measures as the government scrambles to insulate the economy from the global oil shock triggered by escalating Middle East hostilities....
Petron Corp., the Philippines’ sole oil refiner, has procured 2.48 million barrels of Russian crude oil to shore up the country’s fuel stocks following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the declaration of a state of national energy emergency. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock...
State-run Social Security System (SSS) is considering temporarily suspending loan payments and waiving or reducing penalties on unpaid contributions to provide relief to its members facing financial challenges amid the Philippine energy crisis. SSS said in a statement released over the weekend that...
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno" Domagoso released the full list of routes for the city’s five-day libreng sakay program, with a total of 1,442 jeepneys deployed across Manila starting March 30. The program covers major transport corridors and inner-city routes to ensure that commuters...
Singapore-based DBS Bank Ltd stated that the Philippine peso is emerging as one of Asia’s most vulnerable currencies as deepening global oil crisis exposes the nation’s heavy reliance on imported energy and the lack of government subsidies. DBS wrote in a commentary published last Friday that...
A farmers’ group on Sunday, March 29, warned of a looming food crisis as rising fuel prices push Filipino farmers and fisherfolk deeper into debt and drive up production costs. As tensions in the Middle East continue to trigger oil price shocks, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said...
KALIBO, Aklan – The Iloilo City government has created a crisis management council to address major economic and social concerns from the impact of the energy crisis caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Mayor Raisa Treñas established the council in Executive Order No. 035-2026 to...
