ILOILO CITY — This Highly Urbanized City is considering declaring a state of calamity as surging fuel prices, driven by ongoing tensions in the Middle East, begin to affect essential goods, jobs, and daily living.
Engineer Neil Ravena, executive director of the Iloilo City Crisis Management Council, said the council will soon convene to determine the extent of the crisis based on sectoral reports. He stressed that any recommendation to declare a state of calamity will depend on data showing how deeply the situation has affected residents.
Among the key indicators being assessed are the rising prices of basic commodities and possible job displacements, particularly if businesses are forced to scale down or shut operations due to high fuel costs. Ravena added that under government guidelines, at least 30 percent of the population must be affected to justify such a declaration.
The city government is expected to base its decision on consolidated reports from frontline agencies and sectors directly hit by the fuel crisis.
Meanwhile, at the provincial level, a similar move is also being considered. Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said Iloilo Province may declare a state of calamity within April, noting that at least two municipalities have already done so at their level.
Should the province proceed with the declaration, it will be able to tap its Php82-million Quick Response Fund (QRF) to provide assistance to affected sectors.
Provincial officials said priority beneficiaries may include the transport sector, such as drivers and operators, as well as farmers and fisherfolk, who are among the most vulnerable to rising fuel costs.
Authorities are currently finalizing the necessary data and documentation to support the potential declaration, as both city and provincial governments brace for the wider impact of the energy crisis.