By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday convened the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Committee in Malacañang to assess the current government interventions aimed at addressing the impact of global oil supply disruptions.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President is confident that current measures remain active and responsive to the needs of Filipinos.
“Maliban sa mga nagawa nang mga programa at pagbibigay ng ayuda, layunin ng Pangulo na tukuyin ang iba pang mga posibleng hakbang para pagaanin ang pang-araw-araw na buhay ng mga Pilipino sa kabila ng mga hamon na sama-sama nating hinaharap,” Castro said in a press briefing.
According to data presented at the fourth UPLIFT Committee meeting, over 24,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have already received assistance from the government while more than 4,000 and 1,300 dependents have been repatriated.
Castro likewise reported that the country currently has an average of 52 days’ worth of fuel supply, with 471,000 barrels already delivered and 1 million barrels in orders were confirmed.
“Pinagpilitan ng Pangulo sa ating Secretary of Energy, kay Secretary Sharon (Garin) na dapat na hindi maputol ang suplay ng krudo o produktong petrolyo sa atin dahil ayaw ng Pangulo ang stagnation,” she said.
“Nagkakaroon na ng inflation dahil bunga ito ng sigalot sa Middle East, so ayaw na dumating pa sa estado ng stagnation kaya kinakailangan na ang supply ng krudo ay manatili at tuloy-tuloy sa ating bansa,” she added, stressing that the government continues to ensure sufficient supply so work and services remain uninterrupted.
The government is also intensifying efforts to curb oil smuggling with the establishment of an Oil Inventory Task Force tasked to monitor and check local oil inventory levels from importation, storage, and depots up to the gasoline stations.
In terms of ensuring electricity supply, Castro said the government is expediting 22 renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 1,471 megawatts.
Castro also mentioned the efforts to keep food prices stable, such as the continuous expansion of the P20 Rice Program to 661 sites nationwide, giving access to affordable rice to over 402,000 beneficiaries. A total of 14.9 million kilograms of rice have been sold under the program.
Meanwhile, over 977,000 public utility vehicle drivers have already received their P5,000 cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as of April 19.
More than 373,000 beneficiaries have received fuel subsidies, while 425 drivers in Metro Manila were covered by the pilot implementation of the TUPAD Tuloy Pasada program.
Reiterating the President’s directive to provide a more convenient way of distributing cash aid to the target beneficiaries, Castro assured that the DSWD is working to roll out the succeeding payouts through digital methods such as e-wallet systems.
The assurance came after a motorcycle taxi rider died over the weekend while waiting in line at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City to claim the financial assistance from DSWD.
“Iyan naman po ang gusto ng Pangulo. Mabigay lahat ang kumbinyente sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na kapag sila ay tumatanggap ng ayuda,” Castro said.
On PBBM’s approval ratings
With the recent improvement in the trust and performance ratings of Marcos, Castro said that the administration is grateful that the public recognizes its efforts.
However, the Palace official stressed that the President remains focused on his work regardless of survey results.
“Magandang nakikita po at nararamdaman ng mga kababayan natin kung ano po ang ginagawa ng gobyerno, ng pamahalaan, para sa ating mga kababayan. Ngunit muli, sasabihin po natin, ang Pangulo, tumaas man ang kaniyang approval rating, bumaba man ang approval rating, patuloy pong magtatrabaho ang Pangulo,” she said.
“Hindi po siya maaapektuhan ng negatibo, positibo na mga approval rating. Pero nagpapasalamat na rin po tayong lahat dahil nakikita nila kung sino ba talaga iyong nagtatrabaho at sino lang iyong mga nagbabakasyon,” Castro added.
According to a survey by OCTA Research, the President’s trust and performance ratings went up to 54% and 55% respectively, during the first quarter of 2026.
Both figures were higher than the 48% trust rating recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025, and the 51% performance rating recorded in the same period last year.
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