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Members of an inter-agency coordinating committee conduct a walk through on July 15, 2024, as the House of Representatives prepares for the coming State Of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

CONGRESS-SONA

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — As tensions in the Middle East or West Asia continue to drive fuel prices up, more bills were filed at the House of Representatives seeking solutions such as the establishment of a fuel regulatory board and a strategic oil reserve, as well as measures to keep food supply and logistics costs stable.</p><p>Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua filed on Monday House Bill 8839 or the Fuel Price Stabilization and Energy Security Act.</p><p>This seeks to create the Fuel Regulatory Board with powers “to regulate fuel prices, set temporary price bands or price ceilings, and investigate and prevent anti-competitive practices,&quot; Chua said.</p><p>The board’s members will include experts in energy economics, petroleum engineering, or energy policy, as well as representatives of the consumer and transport sectors.</p><p>Aside from this, the bill calls for a Strategic Petroleum Reserve with a system wherein the government can purchase oil while it is at a lower price in the world market for an emergency stockpile.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/4/16/big-rollbacks-expected-again-next-week-1438" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Big rollbacks expected again next week</a></div><p>“Tuwing mura ang presyo ng langis sa world market, bibili ang gobyerno natin ng emergency oil stockpile na ilalagak sa ating mga oil depot (imbakan ng langis). Maaaring i-release sa publiko ang nasabing stockpile sa panahon ng krisis upang matiyak ang sapat na suplay at maiwasan ang panic-driven price increases,” Chua said.</p><p>“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve shall be utilized only during periods of severe supply disruption, national emergencies, or extraordinary price volatility. The President, upon the recommendation of the Fuel Regulatory Board, shall order the release of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” the bill reads.</p><div><strong>KALINGA ACT FOR STABLE FOOD SUPPLY</strong></div><p>The proposed KALINGA Act or House Bill 8834, filed by House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, includes measures to stabilize food supply and logistics costs.</p><p>Dy cited the expected impact of fuel price hikes on the cost of basic goods.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/4/15/more-agri-issues-seen-as-mideast-conflict-drags-on-el-ni-o-looms-1431">More agri issues seen as Mideast conflict drags on, El Niño looms</a></div><p>Section 8 of the bill or the Essential Goods and Logistics Stabilization Component talks about implementation of support for transport and distribution of essential goods, buffer stocking and food supply stabilization measures, shipping, inter-island transport, and logistics support, cold chain and storage support programs, priority fuel allocation for logistics transporting essential goods, and temporary price stabilization measures consistent with existing laws.</p><p>“The KALINGA bill prioritizes the movement of essential goods so supply chains remain stable even during fuel shocks. Para matiyak na tuloy-tuloy ang supply ng pagkain sa mga pamilihan, mapigilan ang pagtaas ng gastos sa transportasyon, at maprotektahan ang mga pamilya laban sa biglaang pagtaas ng presyo… This prevents disruptions, keeps food moving, and helps control inflation,” Dy said.</p><div><strong>CALL FOR VAT CAP ON FUEL</strong></div><p>During a Legislative Energy Action and Development (LEAD) joint committee hearing, Cavite 2nd District Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla also called for a calibrated Value Added Tax (VAT) capping mechanism instead of full suspension.</p><p>According to the lawmaker, this is to keep the government from benefiting disproportionately from price hikes driven by the oil crisis.</p><p>“We are not asking for a total suspension of VAT on fuel. Naiintindihan natin ang fiscal constraints ng gobyerno. What we are proposing is a fair and targeted approach: cap the VAT at pre-crisis levels and forgo the windfall revenues… Mas kumokolekta tayo ng VAT habang tumataas ang presyo. Nagkakaroon ng windfall collection ang gobyerno, pero masakit ito para sa consumer,” Mercado-Revilla stressed.</p><p>For Mercado-Revilla, the government is taking a long time deciding on excise tax suspension, hence the importance of looking into a VAT cap.</p><div><strong>DOF STATEMENT ‘SELF-SERVING,’ ‘DECEPTIVE’</strong></div><p>ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio called it “self-serving” and “deceptive” for Finance Secretary Frederick Go to say suspension of excise tax on diesel and gasoline is not likely to give “meaningful relief.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/13/marcos-cuts-excise-tax-on-lpg-kerosene-1612">Marcos suspends excise taxes on LPG, kerosene</a></div><p>“The DOF practically called any reduction on current diesel and gasoline prices ‘meaningless’… For a jeepney driver using 30 liters a day, that’s P180 in additional income—a lifeline, not a marginal relief. To call that ‘meaningless’ is an insult to millions of Filipinos who count every peso,” Tinio said.</p><p>For Tinio, the non-removal of excise tax and VAT on oil shows the government prioritizes potential revenues over giving direct relief to the public.</p><p>“Cutting the excise tax and VAT provides immediate, across-the-board relief at the pump. The government’s refusal to do so reveals its priority: protecting potential revenues for government and profits of oil companies over providing direct relief for the people,” Tinio added.</p><p>Go earlier explained any reduction in retail pump prices would be “largely offset by prevailing market dynamics.”</p>

<p>As tensions in the Middle East continue to drive fuel prices up, more bills were file seeking solutions to saoring commodity prices.</p>

As tensions in the Middle East continue to drive fuel prices up, more bills were file seeking solutions to saoring commodity prices.

House bills filed for fuel regulatory board, strategic oil reserve, food supply protection amid oil crisis

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House bills filed for fuel regulatory board, strategic oil reserve, food supply protection amid oil crisis

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 16, 2026 05:16 PM PHT

Read More:

oil crisis

fuel revulatory board

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