Dy pushes fuel supply security plan under Kalinga bill

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Tuesday said the proposed Kalinga Act would help secure the country’s fuel supply while cushioning the impact of volatile global oil prices.

Dy and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos filed House Bill No. 8834, which seeks to establish the Kalinga Program, or Komprehensibong Alalay sa Livelihood, Inflation, Negosyo and Goods Assistance.

The measure provides a centralized framework to address fuel-driven inflation and ensure the supply of energy and essential goods.

“Kahit may subsidy, kung kulang ang supply, tataas pa rin ang presyo at maaapektuhan ang buong ekonomiya. We must secure fuel availability while managing price volatility,” Dy said.

“Even with subsidies, if supply is lacking, prices will still rise and the entire economy will be affected,” he added in Filipino.

Under Section 6, the bill establishes an energy supply, security and inventory management component to ensure the availability of oil, fuel, electricity and other energy products during price shocks and supply disruptions.

The provision authorizes government-to-government fuel supply agreements, diversification of import sources, monitoring of national fuel inventories, enforcement of minimum stock levels, priority fuel allocation for essential sectors, and emergency procurement and distribution measures.

“The Kalinga bill allows the government to diversify supply sources, enforce inventory levels and prioritize fuel allocation for critical sectors such as power generation, transport and food logistics,” Dy said.

The Legislative Energy Action Development Council is set to hold hearings on April 13, 15 and 16 to consolidate immediate relief measures and long-term reforms in response to global oil price volatility.