The Department of Energy (DOE) must have full authority to control oil price hikes like in the current big-time increases triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
If elected to the Senate, House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta said he would empower the DOE beyond just monitoring price hikes.
“So, kung tuloy-tuloy po itong giyera sa Ukraine, patuloy tataas ang presyo ng langis at kaakibat din niyan ang lahat ng presyo ng mga bilihin lalong lalo na ang mga basic commodities (So, if this war between Ukraine [and Russia] persists, prices of oil and basic commodities will continue to shoot up),” Marcoleta said in a statement on Saturday.
He expressed dismay that the DOE has no enough power to control the prices of petroleum products, citing a circular that was stopped by the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court in 2019, which required oil companies to “unbundle” or disclose information on what goes into the pricing of their petroleum products.
“Kailangan maging masigasig ang DOE, pero wala siyang masyadong power kundi mag-monitor lang ng presyo (The DOE should be aggressive, but it has no power except to monitor the prices),” he said.
Marcoleta stressed the need for the unbundling of retail prices of domestic petroleum products to ensure “fair and reasonable” pump prices, adding that these oil companies have long-term contracts with their suppliers abroad.
“Ito lamang ang paraan para makita natin kung competitive o kaya kung fair talaga ‘yung presyo. Hindi ‘yung kapag biglang nag-spike ‘yung oil spot market, doon nila kinukuha lahat eh samantala ‘yung inventory nila, hindi natin alam kung gaano pa ‘yung hindi nagagamit (It’s the only way for us to see if the prices are competitive or fair. They are basing the spike on oil but we don’t know much about their inventory or the consumption),” he said.
Marcoleta likewise encouraged the country’s top 1,000 companies to implement an immediate wage increase to help minimum-wage and daily-wage workers.
He said companies should think of the welfare of their employees who contribute to their success and profits.
“Sila ay may kakayahan na magbigay siguro ng increase kahit na huwag na hintayin ang pagpapatupad ng wage increase sapagkat mahirap talaga ang kalagayan ng mga manggagawa natin ngayon (They are capable of providing wage increase. They should not wait for an order, considering the plight of our workers now),” Marcoleta said.
He said the government is already doing its best to help everyone affected by the oil price hikes, like the granting of fuel subsidy for the transport sector, farmers and fisherfolk, as well as the unconditional cash transfers for the bottom 50 percent of Filipino households.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also said in a statement on Saturday that it is pushing for the approval of the proposed wage subsidy for workers that will preserve jobs and ease the financial burden of minimum wage earners.
“We have enjoined the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards to review petitions for wage hikes and work for the speedy resolutions on the same. DOLE remains consistent in supporting initiatives that will sustain recovery of the labor market and help Filipinos attain full, decent, and productive employment,” read the statement.
Source: Philippines News Agency
