Marcos urges public not to panic despite national energy emergency declaration

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday urged the public not to panic despite his earlier issuance of Executive Order No. 110, which declares a state of national energy emergency. He reiterated that the declaration is meant to give the government “more options” to mitigate the effects of soaring oil and petroleum prices triggered by the war in the Middle East. “The state of national energy emergency is not meant to cause panic among the public, but to give the government more options to address the crisis caused by tensions in the Middle East, should the need arise,” he said in Filipino during a press conference in Malacañang. “This does not mean that we should panic. We are doing everything we can to assess and alleviate the situation. This is a precautionary tool so we will be ready for what’s next,” he added. EO No. 110 establishes the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT), a coordinated whole-of-government response framework. It includes energy supply management measures to be implemented by the Department of Energy (DOE) and its attached agencies, as well as complementary measures to support consumers and affected sectors to be carried out by other concerned agencies. The President also warned against those who may attempt to take advantage of the situation, saying the government would strictly enforce laws against hoarding, price gouging, and profiteering involving petroleum products and other commodities.

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