House Speaker Faustino Dy III and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos are backing a measure that would establish a national protection system to shield ordinary Filipinos from the brunt of the ongoing oil crisis.
The proposed KALINGA Act (House Bill 8834) is designed to make government response to fuel price shocks swift, targeted, and automatic.
“Isang galaw lang sa presyo ng langis, lahat tumataas—pamasahe, pagkain, kuryente. Hahanapan ng Kongreso at pamahalaan ng solusyon ang sitwasyon,” Marcos said. “Sa KALINGA Act, may malinaw na sistema—may trigger, may aksyon, may tulong.”
He added:
“Hindi ito ayuda lang. Ito ay proteksyon. Kapag tumaas ang presyo, automatic ang tulong.”
Under the proposal, the KALINGA program would activate once critical warning signs emerge—such as sudden spikes in petroleum prices, unusual inflation surges, low fuel supply levels, or a declared national energy emergency.
Key Components of the KALINGA Program:
- Fuel Price Stabilization
- Energy Supply, Security, and Inventory Management
- Targeted Assistance
- Essential Goods and Logistics Stabilization
- MSMEs Energy Relief and Business Continuity
- Energy Conservation and Demand Reduction
- Flexible Fiscal and Regulatory Measures
The measure aims to provide immediate support to vulnerable sectors, including low-income families, public transport drivers, farmers, fisherfolk, MSMEs, overseas Filipino workers, and others identified by the KALINGA Inter-Agency Task Force.
“Ang layunin nito ay simple: siguraduhin na kapag may krisis, hindi naiiwan ang Pilipino,” Marcos said.
“Hindi na tayo maghihintay na lumala ang sitwasyon bago kumilos. Sa KALINGA, walang Pilipinong maiiwan—lalo na sa oras na pinakamabigat ang laban.”