House measure preparing country for future crises filed

MANILA, Philippines — A measure that seeks to prepare the country for future crises, like the current fuel price hikes brought by the Middle East conflict, has been filed by Negros Occidental Rep. Javi Benitez.

In a statement on Friday, Benitez said that he has filed the proposed Resilient Economy and Stabilization for Crisis and Urgent Emergencies (RESCUE) Act, which seeks to create a permanent system that would ensure a quicker and more proactive crisis response.

The lawmaker explained that resiliency is not built during crises — comparing the situation to the purchase of firetrucks, which are not made while there are fires.

READ: PH now experiencing socio-economic crisis, says NSC

“We do not buy fire trucks when houses are burning.  But that’s what we are doing now.  During COVID, we wrote two emergency laws and spent Php 646 billion while the crisis was already on top of us,” Benitez said.

“Now, diesel is at Php 130, fisherfolk cannot set sail, and two million OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) are in the conflict zone,” he added.

According to Benitez, the RESCUE Act will ensure that there is a Bayanihan Economic Stabilization Fund — a permanent fund of P50 billion that the country can immediately tap during times of crisis.

If enacted, the bill would also create a National Economic Resilience Council that would be in charge of coordinating crisis response efforts.

“With the RESCUE Act, we will fix issues before the next crisis arrives.  There would be a permanent fund of Php 50 billion, a standing council, early warning system, and when the emergency is declared, within 72 hours, help should have arrived,” he noted.

READ: Oil price hike won’t delay infrastructure projects — Dizon

Benitez said he filed the bill amid still-escalating tensions over the Middle East, brought by the United States (US)-Iran conflict, as there are fears that oil prices will go over US$115 per barrel — and push diesel fuel prices in the Philippines to over P130 per liter.

Currently, the lawmaker said transport workers, fisherfolk, overseas Filipino workers in conflict-prone areas, and micro, small, and medium enterprises are among those most at risk from the ongoing crisis.

But the RESCUE Act, he claimed, would provide a “more institutionalized economic response system” that is similar to the framework of the Bayanihan bills during teh COVID-19 pandemic.

“The RESCUE Act expands this approach by ensuring that response systems, funding, and coordination mechanisms are already in place before a crisis hits, allowing for faster and more targeted intervention,” he said.

“The RESCUE Act institutionalizes a whole-of-government approach to crisis preparedness, ensuring that systems are already in place before emergencies strike,” he added.

Benitez’s statement came days after his father, Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez, said that the fuel price increases due to the Middle East conflict exposed the country’s need for an automated policy during crises.

During an interview on the sidelines of the impeachment hearing on Wednesday, the older Benitez said he is preparing a bill that would mandate the government to prepare for crises and execute steps when needed — like having a specific set of funds and pre-determined beneficiaries for assistance.

In a separate Facebook post, he said he will soon file the proposed Bayanihan for Economic Resilience and National Stability Act of 2026, which seeks to “empower the executive to respond efficiently to this evolving crisis while ensuring transparency, accountability, and targeted relief.”

One way of building the fund, Benitez said, is by imposing a levy on fuel when costs are low, and then using the fund as a cushion when prices spike.

“So I’m proposing to bring back the oil stabilization fund so that during good times, we can save.  During bad times, we can spend it.  So this will be triggered maybe on a certain price of fuel or oil,” he said.

“So when prices are low, maybe we can allocate P1 (per liter) and turn it into a fund.  Then if we reach P90 plus (per liter), we can spend it.  All of these things are creating a system like a shock absorber, when there are shocks because of external forces, we would not scramble to fund solutions,” he added.

The Deputy Speaker said he will talk to House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Friday to discuss the measure.

When asked if he will support holding a special session to discuss his bill, Benitez said he has no problems about it.  However, he noted that plenary action is not needed to direct committees to discuss the measure in advance.

This, Benitez claimed, will also disprove notions that the House is only focusing on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.

The government has been criticized for its alleged inaction on the fuel price surge, as fare increases were deferred, and subsidies were either slow to come by or were not enough.

Last Tuesday, the country saw the third-straight week of higher fuel prices, pushing diesel to around P130 per liter, while gasoline now sits near P95 per liter.

Several lawmakers aligned with the labor sector condemned Malacañang for saying that there is still no crisis despite the high prices brought by the Middle East conflict.

In response, Malacañang recently announced that a crisis committee is being finalized to address concerns with supply of fuel and goods.  Also on Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed a bill that will allow him to suspend collection of excise taxes on fuel — amounting to P10 per liter of gasoline and P6 per liter of diesel.

Under Senate Bill No. 1982, Marcos can suspend excise taxes if the economic cluster and the Energy secretary recommend it, once average Dubai crude oil price, based on the Mean of Platts Singapore, exceeds US$80 per barrel for one month.

But as of now, several motorists have opted for public transportation modes — which eased street traffic but raised volume for buses, trains, and other public utility vehicles. /mr