Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday encouraged Filipinos to adopt practical measures such as cycling and carpooling to cope with rising oil prices linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
In a video message posted on her Facebook page, Duterte acknowledged growing concern among households over the increasing cost of basic goods and services.
“We will all go through this hardship together. Everyone will feel the weight of higher prices, especially food,” she said.
The Vice President stressed that both the public and government must work together to ease the effects of the crisis.
“There are steps we can take as individuals and as communities, and there are responsibilities the government must fulfill,” Duterte noted.
Among the actions she recommended were reducing unnecessary energy consumption, planning travel more efficiently, and supporting local farmers and small suppliers to lessen reliance on imports.
“Carpooling, biking, and planning trips more efficiently can help reduce fuel consumption,” she said.
Duterte also urged local government units to avoid non-essential activities requiring heavy fuel use, such as festival parades, and instead focus on monitoring prices of essential commodities like rice, cooking oil, and transportation fares.
“Share information on price changes and teach families practical ways to save,” she added.