Senator Dick Gordon urged Filipinos to resort to fuel-saving measures considering the recent spikes in oil prices.
Gordon said that the government must also find ways to set aside a stock of oil and gas as the Philippines is competing with other countries to get their supply.
“Kailangan maghanda ang mga tao kasi hindi natin mapipigilan ‘yan.”
“Kailangan maghanda ang mga tao kasi hindi natin mapipigilan ‘yan. The world is in crisis. Tinigil na ng Amerikano ang pag-supply ng Russia ng langis and then they have to go to their strategic supplies na reserved for them,” the veteran legislator told local reporters in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur recently.
“I’m sure dito sa Mindanao, mayroon kayong malalaking tangke. When I was in Subic, we had 28 days of supply of oil sa mga tank farm namin,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
Over the past ten weeks, the world had faced a rise in fuel prices due to the simmering tension and subsequent invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Because of this, it is projected to cause a rise in the cost of electricity, travel, and goods, since they all use fuel to operate.
There is also a move by the public transportation sector to increase the minimum fare, directly due to the alarming increase in fuel costs.
Oil price companies recently increased prices in an unprecedented manner for diesel, gasoline, and kerosene.
The reelectionist senator said that the government should also take a page out of the book of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) by helping the most vulnerable citizens in alleviating their suffering from exorbitant prices through an Oil Stabilization Fund.
“Haharapin natin ang katotohanan, maglagay tayo ng pera para sa pinakagipit. Kami sa Red Cross, we give to the most vulnerable. Hindi pwedeng bigyan lahat,” explained the PRC chairman.
“Kailangan maghanap tayo ng kabuhayan.”
“Hinahanap natin ang pinakagipit. ‘Yung pamilya na walang hanapbuhay, ‘yung pamilya na may persons with disabilities, may mga senior citizens, ‘yung widow. Pero ngayon, kailangan maghanap tayo ng kabuhayan,” he continued.
Gordon also suggested that people find additional sources of income to help offset the losses caused by the oil price hike.
To help save on fuel consumption, he urged families to carpool, invest in renewable energy sources at home, and for farmers to consolidate the delivery of their produce to the market.
“Dapat magsama-sama ang farmers so they could hire one truck so they could carry all their produce to the market at hindi individual,” Gordon suggested.
“At mas maganda kung mas maraming merkado ang pupuntahan ng produkto natin. People would not stop eating, kaya the farmers would have to continue to buy food. Ang problema, fertilizer would cost higher. So dapat talagang masusi ang paggamit ng mga pataba at mga gagamitin,” he added.
Gordon recently visited the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Norte as part of a two-day campaign stop by the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem, where he is serving as a guest candidate in the 12-person slate.
