Philippines Oil Crisis Deepens: Leadership Vacuum, Traffic Woes and Tax Debate Leave Filipinos Struggling

Philippines Oil Crisis Deepens: Leadership Vacuum, Traffic Woes and Tax Debate Leave Filipinos Struggling | Daily Tribune

Relief programs and cost-cutting have been announced, but where is the national policy leadership? The coordination? The urgency expected from the second-highest official in the land?

Skipping hearings while invoking “national hardship” is evasion.

Impeachment and crisis response are not mutually exclusive. Congress has continued to pass measures addressing high fuel prices even as it performs its constitutional duty. Accountability does not pause for inflation.

More troubling is Duterte’s own admission: the impeachment is “not a priority.” For an official facing serious allegations, that suggests indifference.

If she believes the charges are baseless, then the hearing is her platform. If she believes Filipinos deserve answers, then her presence is the minimum she can contribute.

Leadership is tested under pressure. When scrutiny comes, does a leader step forward — or step away?

— Jason Mago

Oil crisis fixed traffic

I like cars. I drive to work. I have always dreamed of owning big, fancy ones. I am also part of the problem.

With fuel prices rising, traffic suddenly eased. My commute dropped to 30 minutes. Before all this, it took an hour. It felt like heaven.

That is the frustrating part. It took a crisis to make things better.

A year ago, I wrote that Filipinos want to walk, but this country does not want that. Our streets are “death traps.” Ninety-four percent of Filipinos walk or take public transport. Only 6 percent own cars. Six percent — and yet traffic is unbearable.

We tried number coding. We built more roads.

Did it fix anything? No.

The more roads you build, the more cars you get. Even the Skyway is now clogged.

Meanwhile, Filipinos lose 143 hours a year in traffic — almost six days of their lives. A 2024 JICA study estimated P3.5 billion is lost daily due to traffic, possibly reaching P6 billion by 2030.

And we still build roads.

The solution has always been public transport: trains, buses with dedicated lanes, ferries, bike lanes that are safe and walkways that are not death traps.

If cities were better connected, congestion would ease. Decongestion is the goal. But you cannot decongest without giving people a way out.

— Carl Magadia

Via crucis

Filipino consumers are tightening their belts, unsure how long they can endure.

Not long ago, filling up half a tank cost around P1,800. Today, it is close to P3,000. A trip from Bicutan to Manila that once cost P50 now costs P90.

Malacañang said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would meet with the Development Budget Coordination Committee to decide whether to reduce or suspend excise taxes on fuel.

Senator Ping Lacson warned that suspending VAT could cost over P320 billion in revenue and affect GDP.

Economist Ronilo Balbieran said fuel taxes remain a key revenue source. Suspending them would create a gap that must be filled elsewhere, possibly through borrowing. Still, he supports a short-term suspension of one to two months to provide immediate relief.

It is now Friday, yet no clear decision has been announced.

Fuel prices continue to rise weekly. The consequences are immediate: slower spending, rising inflation, and stalled lives.

The government can act — if only temporarily. It has other revenue streams that can absorb the strain. A short-term sacrifice could mean breathing room for millions.