Beyond band-aid governance

The past week has stripped away any remaining illusion that the current oil crisis is temporary. The crisis is, in fact, deepening, widening, and embedding itself into the daily cost of Filipino life. Fuel prices have surged to historic levels, with diesel increasing by P20 per liter in a single adjustment, breaching the P100-per-liter mark. What was once described as volatility is now better understood as disruption.

Yet, in the face of this, official messaging has struggled to keep pace with lived reality. For instance, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin notably maintained that there is “no oil crisis” in terms of supply, emphasizing that fuel remains available despite rising costs. From the economic front, Finance Secretary Frederick Go warned that persistently high oil prices may force tighter monetary policy, with inflationary pressures threatening to ripple across the broader economy.

Malacañang, through Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Claire Castro, has reiterated that the government is “closely monitoring” the situation and coordinating inter-agency responses. The House of Representatives has likewise moved to authorize the suspension of fuel excise taxes, while conservation measures such as a four-day workweek and remote arrangements have been implemented — a better distraction from the politics of impeachment.

Meanwhile, the private sector has moved with a degree of urgency that deserves recognition. Major oil players have implemented staggered price increases to soften the immediate blow on consumers. Ride-hailing platforms such as Grab have introduced fuel subsidies and driver incentives, while logistics companies have absorbed part of the increased transport costs rather than fully passing them on. These interventions underscore a deeper concern: Crisis management is slowly being outsourced to the private sector. However, this should not be the case.

The Iran war, distant in geography but immediate in consequence, has begun to seep into the price of everyday goods. Higher fuel costs increase the cost of transporting rice from the provinces, fish from coastal towns, and vegetables from upland farms. Inflation, once again, becomes a quiet tax on the Filipino household.

And yet, the prevailing policy instinct remains familiar: subsidies, cash transfers and ayuda. We have seen this before. In times of crisis, the government distributes assistance, cushions the blow, and hopes for normalization. If this crisis has reached what can only be described as a pandemic-level economic impact, then the response must evolve accordingly.

We need long-term policy architecture: strategic petroleum reserves that can be deployed with precision; diversified supply chains that reduce dependence on a single volatile region; a recalibrated deregulation law that allows the State to act decisively when markets fail. Most importantly, we need to move beyond the politics of temporary relief.

Filipinos should not be conditioned to wait for ayuda each time global shocks reach our shores. They should be able to demand something more enduring, because if the past week has shown us anything, it is that the crisis is not slowing down, and neither should our resolve to confront it properly.

For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com.