Camille Naredo

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. AFP

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island. (Photo by AFP) /

Article (news)

CONFLICT

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773842001173AFP__20260314__A39G4YX__v2__HighRes__UaeIranUsIsraelWar.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. AFP" width="960"/>Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. AFP</div>MANILA — The Philippine Senate has created an ad hoc committee tasked to forge a consensus on a contingency plan to address the impact on the Philippines of the ongoing war of the United States and Israel against Iran.The chamber approved proposed Senate Resolution 350 Wednesday before adjourning until May 4, 2026.The body will be chaired by Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian with Senate Energy Committee Chair Pia Cayetano, Senate Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform Committee Chair Francis Pangilinan, Senate Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Chair Rodante Marcoleta, and Senate Tourism Chair JV Ejercito as vice chairpersons.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/18/us-does-not-need-help-from-allies-on-iran-trump-says-0117">READ: US does &#x27;not need&#x27; help from allies on Iran, Trump says</a></div>The Senate President, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader, along with other chairpersons of the other permanent committees, are members.The panel will hold hearings with the different cabinet clusters on participatory governance, infrastructure, human development and poverty, climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction, security, justice and peace, and economic development.The panel is meant to proactively address the issues and challenges that the country is facing because of the war in the Middle East, also known as West Asia.Gatchalian said the panel will convene next week so it can look at the effects of the war.&quot;Maraming uncertainty and we need to prepare,&quot; he said.Gatchalian, meanwhile, held the belief that the President suspended the fare hike to minimize inflation and give mitigation measures like targeted subsidies to vulnerable sectors a chance to work first.

The Philippine Senate has created an ad hoc committee tasked to forge a consensus on a contingency plan to address the impact on the Philippines of the ongoing war of the United States and Israel against Iran.

The Philippine Senate has created an ad hoc committee tasked to forge a consensus on a contingency plan to address the impact on the Philippines of the ongoing war of the United States and Israel against Iran.

Senate tasks panel to forge consensus on response to effects of West Asia war

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Senate tasks panel to forge consensus on response to effects of West Asia war

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 18, 2026 09:55 PM PHT

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Senate

ad hoc committee

West Asia war

Middle East conflict

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