Gov’t must empower, not constrain

Even with the passage of Republic Act No. 12316, the promise of meaningful relief at the pump remains elusive. The law grants the President authority to suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel, yet global price dynamics and entrenched market structures blunt its intended impact. Consumers are left wondering: if policy tools exist, why does relief feel so distant?

Government messaging has only deepened the confusion. Energy officials assure the public that supply is stable, while Malacañang Palace urges calm—an appeal that rings hollow when paired with a declaration of a national energy emergency. Across the country, hundreds of gasoline stations are quietly shutting down, a stark contradiction to claims of stability.

Instead of addressing structural issues, the response has leaned heavily on short-term palliatives. Cash assistance for public utility vehicle drivers, free rides, and proposed four-day work weeks offer temporary reprieve, but fail to confront the broader economic strain. The middle class and young entrepreneurs—key drivers of growth—are largely left to absorb the shock on their own.

What is more troubling is the apparent reluctance to challenge the pricing behavior of major oil firms. Despite their vast resources and influence, these companies remain insulated from meaningful pressure to share the burden. This is precisely the scenario their extensive lobbying power was designed to secure—policy environments that protect profit margins even in times of crisis.

The situation evokes uneasy parallels to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when uncertainty and anxiety defined daily life. Yet Filipinos responded then with resilience and innovation. The rapid rise of e-commerce and delivery platforms demonstrated how crisis can catalyze transformation.

Today presents a similar inflection point. Electric vehicles and alternative energy solutions offer a path forward, but government response has been to regulate rather than enable. Lengthy processes and unclear policies discourage adoption and stifle innovation.

If there is a lesson from past crises, it is this: resilience thrives when government empowers, not constrains. The challenge now is not just to weather another storm, but to rethink the system entirely—before opportunity slips through our fingers once again.