By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
With Filipinos’ budgets stretched to the limit due to skyrocketing fuel prices triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Malacañang said that it continues to find ways to alleviate this pressing national dilemma that continues to be shouldered by the people.
This, as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. presided over the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Committee meeting late Tuesday.
Among the topics discussed at the conference were the recommendations proposed by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to keep the energy emergency from making further dents in the national economy.
The high-level engagement also revolved around reducing or abolishing excise tax imposed on petroleum products, as well as further interventions to help motorists and various sectors cope with volatile oil prices.
After ironing out the kinks in the government’s implementation of various initiatives to extend a helping hand to the masses amid these challenging times during the 2nd UPLIFT Committee meeting, President Marcos Jr. is expected to share the progress made by the energy emergency response team in the soonest possible time.
Among the officials present at the meeting were Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa, and Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
The DBCC was established through Executive Order No. 232, s. 1970, to ensure that the government has ample financial resources to invest in capital or infrastructure projects, thus contributing to the nation’s bottom line.
The Committee is chaired by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary, with the Department of Finance (DOF), Office of the President (OP), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), DEPDev (formerly known as NEDA), and DBM as its members. (with report from Racquel Bayan | Radyo Pilipinas)
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