PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson Martin Andanar assured Thursday, March 10, 2022, that President Rodrigo Duterte is considering all suggestions to lessen the impact of the looming fuel crisis amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.Andanar said Duterte is continuously coordinating with experts before coming up with a decision.”Itong lahat ng ito, nakahanda naman ang gobyerno, marami namang mga experts. You can be rest assured na si Pangulong Duterte ay pinapakinggan ang lahat ng suhestiyon,” he said in a television interview.(The government is ready, and there are a lot of experts. Rest assured that President Duterte is considering all suggestions.)”Kinakailangan talagang balansehin nang husto itong problema at ang solusyon para hindi kailangang maapektuhan yung ibang mga services ng ating pamahalaan,” he added.(There has to be balance between the problems and solutions so as not to affect other services of the government.)Among the suggestions to cushion the impact of increases in the prices of petroleum products are the suspension of fuel excise taxes, the doubling of fuel subsidy for the transportation and agriculture sector, and the declaration of state of economic emergency to trigger the use of calamity funds to provide aid to the affected sector.Duterte has already approved to double the initial P2.5-billion fuel subsidy for the public utility vehicles and to increase to P1.1 billion the subsidy for the agriculture sector.The first tranche of subsidy will be given out in March and the second tranche in April.Duterte earlier met with concerned government clusters to put in place mitigating measures and contingency plans to strengthen the domestic economy amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict.Echoing the statement of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Tina Rose Canda, Andanar said that if the collection of excise taxes will be suspended, the government will lose funds for social services and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).He said giving out financial aid to the poor families like the Social Amelioration Program is being considered due to the possible increase in price of basic commodities amid the oil price hike.“Kaya yun nga nandoon ‘yung magiging dilemma natin sapagkat kapag tinanggal mo ‘yung excise tax, syempre maraming pondo ang mawawala doon sa social services, sa DSWD,” said Andanar.(The dilemma is there, because if you remove the excise tax, you will lose the funds for social services and DSWD.)On Tuesday, March 8, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said declaring a state of economic emergency due to the spike in the prices of oil products is “unnecessary at this point.”The Department of Energy estimates that gasoline prices may rise to P78.33 per liter, while diesel may leap to P68.97 per liter once the Dubai sourced crude reaches $120 per barrel.Currently, oil prices are averaging at $100 per barrel since the Russian invasion to Ukraine began in February.On Tuesday, March 8, fuel firms implemented the biggest price hike so far for this year with P5.85 per liter of diesel, P3.60 per liter of gasoline, and P4.10 for every liter of kerosene.This has prompted the transport groups to urge the government to impose a P1 provisional increase in the minimum fare.However, following a meeting with Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, some transport groups decided not to push through their petition for fare hike.Tugade was able to convince the groups after he warned them of possible inflation in case of a fare increase.The groups were further convinced by the doubling of fuel subsidies for public utility vehicles. (SunStar Philippines)