Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed government agencies to ensure steady supplies of fuel, food, and electricity as headline inflation accelerated to 7.2 percent in September.
Castro made the statement during a press briefing in Singapore following a meeting between President Marcos and Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto to review inflation mitigation measures and external economic pressures, including Middle East instability and climate impacts.
”Hindi po natin maide-deny na talagang apektado po ang bansa natin dahil sa nangyayaring krisis sa Middle East, at iyong mga papasok at mga naganap na mga kalamidad sa Pilipinas,” Castro said.
She noted that non-economic factors are also impacting national financial stability.
”Pati ang political noise ay nakakaapekto na rin sa atin, sa ekonomiya natin,” Castro also said.
Castro highlighted that the administration is prioritizing resource security alongside targeted relief measures, including public utility vehicle fuel discounts, transport fare subsidies, Kadiwa outlet expansions, 10-kilogram rice distributions, toll-free expressway arrangements, and reduced roll-on/roll-off rates.
She emphasized the President’s strict directive regarding national fuel reserves, warning that supply disruptions would cripple commercial operations and broader economic productivity.
”Kabilin-bilinan po ng Pangulo na hindi po dapat mawalan supply ang Pilipinas ng fuel. Kapag nahinto ang supply ng fuel, sobra po ang magiging epekto dito sa bansa natin at baka talaga magkaroon ng paghihinto, ang mga businesses at mas lalong malaki ang epekto sa ating ekonomiya,” Castro said.
Complementing these supply stability measures, the government suspended excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene while advancing efforts to remove the 12 percent value-added tax on allowable system loss charges in electricity billing.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) led by Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr. announced the rollout of a P3-billion fuel subsidy package under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program.
Administered through the Department of Agriculture, the program provides a one-time P5,000 fuel subsidy to qualified farmers and fisherfolk and P2,000 weekly assistance to drivers transporting agricultural goods, covering approximately 300,000 beneficiaries.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through spokeswoman Irene Dumlao assured that the second tranche of monthly cash assistance under UPLIFT Group 3 will be distributed by October 16, targeting 265,795 newly identified low-income Social Security System (SSS) members, adding to the 865,971 members who received the initial tranche.