SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged Malacañang to create a national contingency plan (NCP) to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the impact of conflicts, such as the raging war in the Middle East. The Senate recently adopted Resolution 343, which Cayetano authored, calling on the Executive branch to develop an NCP to strengthen the country’s preparedness for major domestic and international crises. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has said that as of Feb. 28, there are over 2.4 million OFWs in the Middle East, some of them affected by the United States-Israel war against Iran. “Instabilities, armed conflict, and war directly affect the welfare and employment of millions of OFWs across the Middle East and other regions, potentially affecting the livelihoods of millions of Filipino families dependent on remittances,” Cayetano said on Monday. He noted that millions of OFWs are deployed across the world, many of them in regions vulnerable to political and economic disruptions. A national contingency plan will help ensure that government agencies “can coordinate quickly and effectively during crises affecting Filipinos abroad,” he said. He underscored the OFWs’ contribution to the national economy. Citing data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, he said total cash remittances from OFWs reached a record $35.63 billion in 2025. He said the government must ensure that OFWs are protected and supported during emergencies, including situations that may require evacuation, repatriation, or economic assistance. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) meanwhile wants President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to consider declaring a state of national emergency amid escalating tensions in the Middle East that have triggered a series of steep oil price hikes, worsening the cost-of-living crisis for Filipino workers and their families. The TUCP issued the call on Monday as another round of price increases for gasoline and diesel loomed this week, ranging from P15 to P20 per liter. It also proposed laws to suspend the collection of VAT and excise taxes on fuel. “Mr. President, when a conflict thousands of kilometers away suddenly dictates how much a Filipino family pays for food, transportation, and daily necessities, it stops being just a global crisis — it becomes a national emergency at home,” said TUCP in a statement. “You have already asked Congress for emergency powers to suspend or reduce fuel excise taxes. But hunger and poverty do not wait for the legislative calendar. Workers are already cutting back on essentials, transport groups are bracing for fare hikes, and small businesses are struggling to stay afloat,” it added. The group said the government is not powerless under the Oil Deregulation Law, which allows fuel industry players to control the prices of their products, without government intervention. Section 14(e) of the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998 (Republic Act 8479) allows the Department of Energy (DOE), in times of national fuel emergency, to temporarily take over or direct the operations of entities engaged in the downstream oil industry when the public interest requires it. “Once a national emergency is declared, oil companies — especially the biggest players — can be required to disclose their supply inventories and acquisition costs to the DOE under confidentiality, and to moderate their margins so Filipino consumers are not crushed by excessive price spikes,” TUCP said. “This is not about punishing oil companies. It is about sharing the burden in a national emergency. Workers have long absorbed the impact of rising prices while wages lag behind. The government is already stretching its limited fiscal space through subsidies and possible tax suspensions. The question is whether oil companies are willing to give up a portion of their double-digit earnings growth and record profits reported just weeks ago,” it said. TUCP also called on the president to convene a National Emergency Summit bringing together labor groups, transport operators, agriculture, business, consumer organizations, and the academe. “The government should not confront this crisis alone. Workers are tired of the blame game while prices keep rising. Filipinos need decisive action to stabilize costs,” it said.