Senator Sherwin Gatchalian emphasizes the need to closely track fuel and food price movements amidst rising inflation before declaring a national state of emergency in the Philippines.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, highlighted the importance of thorough monitoring of commodity prices before declaring a national state of emergency amid climbing fuel prices. Speaking on March 22, 2026, Gatchalian noted that fuel price increases observed over the prior three weeks could cause secondary effects or spillovers into food prices and wages, necessitating careful observation of the situation.
“It’s been almost three weeks of rising oil prices. This could lead to second-round or spillover effects on food prices and wages. The situation needs to be closely monitored,” he said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. He further emphasized that any declaration of a state of emergency should come only after assessing price movements carefully.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicates that inflation in February 2026 accelerated to its fastest pace in 13 months, driven mainly by higher costs in food, beverages, housing, and utilities. Consumer prices increased by 2.4% in February, up from 2.0% in January and 2.1% in February 2025. The inflation was particularly impacted by a 1.8% annual increase in prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which represent nearly 30% of the inflation basket.
Industry estimates suggest that fuel price adjustments for the coming week could range from ₱16.50 to ₱17.50 per liter for diesel, and ₱7.50 to ₱8.50 for gasoline. Previously, the Department of Energy announced price adjustments ranging from ₱20.40 to ₱23.90 per liter for diesel and ₱12.90 to ₱16.60 for gasoline for the week of March 17-23.
Senator Gatchalian called for more stringent government oversight over petroleum pricing, advocating for price unbundling to ensure transparency of actual consumer costs. Meanwhile, the Philippine legislature recently approved granting emergency powers to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to suspend or reduce excise taxes on oil if the average price of Dubai crude exceeds $80 per barrel for more than a month. However, President Marcos indicated that the decision to exercise such powers remains complex and dependent on oil price trends.
This development underscores the challenges faced by the Philippine government in balancing inflation control and energy security amid global fuel market volatility.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/980931/close-price-monitoring-needed-for-declaring-national-state-of-emergency-sen-gatchalian/story/
