BUSINESS groups on Wednesday welcomed the government’s move to declare an energy emergency but said measures should be swiftly implemented to mitigate the impact of the war in the Middle East.
“The declaration of a national energy emergency reflects the seriousness of the country’s energy challenges, particularly in ensuring reliable and affordable power amid rising global uncertainties,” Management Association of the Philippines President Donald Lim told The Manila Times.
“From a business perspective, this move can help accelerate critical investments and address supply constraints essential to sustaining economic growth,” he added.
Lim, however, said “the next 30 days will be especially critical. Decisive and well-calibrated policy actions during this period will set the direction for investor confidence, energy stability, and the country’s overall economic resilience.”
The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., meanwhile, said the government should complement the energy emergency declaration with measures that would benefit the sector and other industries.
These include temporary relief mechanisms for fuel and logistics costs affecting exporters, including waiver of government shares in port and toll fees, swift implementation of fuel subsidy programs for critical industries, acceleration of trade facilitation and digitalization efforts to reduce non-energy costs and close coordination with logistics providers to prevent excessive or speculative rate increases.
“For exporters, the implications are immediate and significant. Rising fuel prices directly translate to higher logistics, shipping, and production costs, potentially eroding the competitiveness of Philippine exports in an already challenging global market,” Philexport said.
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Perry Ferrer also expressed support but warned that a war beyond two to three months would be very difficult for the domestic economy, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that comprise 99 percent of all business establishments in the country.
“The longer the war takes, the lesser the chances for our MSMEs to bounce back. We have to understand our MSMEs are the backbone of our economy...,” he said.
Federation of Philippine Industries Chairman Elizabeth Lee, for her part, said the energy emergency declaration was timely and necessary.
“For manufacturers, the pressure is multi-layered — hitting energy, transport, imported input materials, and production timelines,” she noted.
“Firms are prioritizing uninterrupted production while safeguarding workforce stability, even as margins tighten. Mitigation measures are being intensified across operations. These include optimizing production schedules to off-peak energy hours, enhancing workforce flexibility where cross-trained team members adopt flexible roles and responsibilities, and adopting remote work arrangements for non-production functions where feasible.”
She called for the implementation of reforms that would address future crises, noting that the war in the Middle East had “magnified our country’s vulnerabilities.”
“Reforms that will deepen and expand local manufacturing as a national imperative will help the Philippines secure resilience, drive job creation, and help better shield the Philippine economy from global energy shocks,” Lee said.
