In uncertain times, leadership is not merely about reacting. It is about recognizing risks early and acting with enough courage and urgency to prevent a crisis from unfolding.

Executive Order 110, issued by PBBM, may not have come at the earliest possible moment, yet it arrives when action can no longer be delayed. It is not an overreaction, but a recognition that a necessary step must be taken to manage a rapidly evolving threat.

The rapid escalation of conflict in the Middle East, a major source of our oil, highlights the fragility of global energy systems. For a country heavily reliant on imports, the risks are immediate and significant.

While some may say EO 110 came late, it remains a necessary step. It signals the government’s commitment to protecting the economy and the Filipino people from the effects of an intensifying conflict involving Iran. By declaring a national emergency on oil supply, it affirms that energy security, sovereignty, and economic stability are inseparable.

Fuel powers transport, agriculture, manufacturing, and daily commerce; any disruption quickly affects the most vulnerable. Acting decisively, therefore, is a responsibility.

The order’s strength lies in its whole-of-government approach, recognizing that resilience requires coordination across sectors—from procurement and logistics to pricing and social protection. It also introduces UPLIFT (Upgrade, Promote, Liberalize, Invest, Facilitate, Transform), aiming not only to secure supply but to improve systems, attract renewable energy investments, and move toward sustainability.

Equally important, it ensures support for ordinary Filipinos—transport operators, farmers, and small enterprises—helping cushion rising fuel costs and inflation. It also opens the path to long-term reforms, including stronger oil reserves, diversified energy sources, accelerated renewables, and conservation.

Today, energy security is about readiness and adaptability. Transparency, accountability, and private sector partnership will be key to making these measures effective and maintaining public trust.

Despite the challenges, EO 110 is a welcome and necessary step. In uncertain times, stability comes from acting early, working together, and taking responsibility for our shared future.

Let us, for a moment, step away from the noise and divisions of politics and focus on what truly matters, how we navigate the crisis before us and safeguard our nation from being overwhelmed.

In times like these, clarity of purpose and steadiness of action must prevail over rhetoric and distraction.

And hopefully, EO 110 will not be a ningas cogon, ignited with promise only to fade with time, but a steady and sustained effort carried through with discipline and resolve. For in the end, it is not how brightly a measure begins that defines its worth, but how faithfully it is pursued until its purpose is fulfilled.