MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of a crisis committee to ensure stable food and fuel supplies amid the war in the Middle East, Malacañang said on Monday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro maintained that even before there were suggestions for such a body, the president has already ordered the creation of one.
“So, let’s just wait for the document to be released. It is being finalized,” she said in Filipino. “I can't give you the full details yet, although I have the draft.“
Castro said that the main objective of the crisis committee is to ensure that there will be no disruptions in the supply of essential goods such as petroleum products and food.
She clarified that while the war in the Middle East caused oil prices to soar, an oil supply crisis has yet to be declared in the Philippines.
“At present, this is not considered an oil crisis because we have complete and sufficient oil supply. The DOE (Department of Energy) and this government, upon orders of President Marcos Jr., is working to ensure there will be no disruptions in the supply of oil and petroleum products in the country,” Castro said.
