MANILA — Malacañang assured the public that hospitals, police, fire services, and other critical government operations will remain fully functional despite sweeping energy-saving measures triggered by the Middle East crisis and rising global oil prices.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said frontline agencies are exempt from the government’s four-day onsite work scheme, stressing that essential public services must not be disrupted under any circumstance.
“The language of the President’s order is clear: Agencies that provide frontline services shall keep their services running at all times,” Recto said in a statement.
He emphasized that maintaining “essential, basic and vital services” remains the top priority, particularly for offices directly serving the public in critical sectors.
Recto added that while these agencies are encouraged to adopt energy-saving practices, such measures must not interfere with their core functions.
“These should not in any way curtail or compromise the work that they do,” he said.
“We do not cut ambulance service in the name of fuel economy. We do not restrict police response to crime in order to save on gas. Ang ganyang serbisyo ay hindi tinitipid,” he added.
The Palace official explained that conservation efforts are calibrated to preserve fuel and energy for life-saving and emergency operations.
“Kung tumataas ang presyo ng gasolina, we will put government service vehicles on a gas diet, so that ambulances, fire truck, police patrol cars can continue running,” he said.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 114 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on March 6, support and auxiliary offices — even those within frontline agencies — must reduce actual energy consumption by at least 20 percent.
Recto clarified that while administrative units are covered by the conservation policy, critical equipment and emergency vehicles are excluded from fuel restrictions.
“Kung regional office ka ng Bureau of Fire Prevention, covered ka ng energy conservation protocols. But gasoline supply of firetrucks, for obvious reasons, are exempt from scrimping,” he said./ PN
