Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto brought together the UPLIFT Committee on September 17 to ramp up state-led contingency plans following renewed instability in the Middle East and rising global oil prices, directing government bodies to ensure steady energy reserves and maintain financial aid for Filipino households.
“Two straits are now blocked and fuel prices are climbing again. Although they remain below April’s peak, we should not be complacent. We should not wait for prices to reach their worst before the government responds,” Recto remarked during the strategy meeting. He reinforced the administration’s stance, adding, “Malinaw ang utos ng Pangulo: kumilos agad, unahan ang paglala ng sitwasyon, at protektahan ang bawat Pilipino.”
Key Cabinet officials presented status reports covering local fuel inventory levels, social safety nets, and protective measures for overseas workers in affected regions. Assessing supply stability, the Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed that domestic oil inventories as of September 14 stood at 57.2 days for gasoline, 60.8 days for diesel, and 39.3 days for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
On the social welfare front, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured that funding remains intact through year-end to cover the expanded UPLIFT program’s target group of 7.5 million beneficiaries, including transport workers, farmers, and fisherfolk. To date, PHP 11.80 billion in financial aid has been distributed to 5.79 million recipients. Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) noted that repatriation efforts continue uninterrupted. As of September 11, a total of 14,026 overseas Filipinos caught in the Middle East conflict have been brought back home and provided with local reintegration assistance.
To offset rising pump prices, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced an increase in fuel discounts from PHP 10 to PHP 12 per liter—yielding weekly savings of up to PHP 1,800 for eligible transport workers across 3,633 participating service stations. Toll exemptions for provincial buses also remain active, alongside terminal fee waivers at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) through the end of the year and across 86 SM transport terminals nationwide. Further commuter relief includes half-price fares on the MRT-3 and LRT-2, the PHP 1 roll-on/roll-off terminal fee rate, and continued government Libreng Sakay routes.
For the agricultural sector, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported releasing PHP 6.03 billion under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP) to 2.59 million individuals. Specific fuel relief has reached 7,185 fishers and 13,701 farmers, while the agency prepares proactive measures against potential El Niño disruptions and monitors fertilizer prices.
Complementing these efforts, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) confirmed its readiness to expand the TUPAD emergency employment initiative. Its TUPAD Tuloy Pasada program has aided 20,717 transport workers, while farm and fishery labor support has reached 195,638 workers. Addressing healthcare burdens, the Department of Health (DOH) noted that its Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program has provided aid to over 2.5 million patients across 1,773 partner facilities.
Recto affirmed that the executive branch will keep a close eye on Middle Eastern geopolitical developments to anticipate impacts on supply chains, domestic inflation, and macroeconomic stability, adding that the UPLIFT Committee stands ready to scale up intervention measures if global market pressures escalate.