NO ONE is exempt from the ripple effects of the global oil crisis. No thanks to the continuing tensions in the Middle East.
What we are experiencing now is crisis after crisis after crisis. For the past five straight weeks, fuel price hikes have pushed everyone — rich and poor — to keep on complaining, praying, and asking: When will this oil crisis be over?
Prices of goods in both grocery stores and public markets are skyrocketing. Basic commodities — uga (dried fish), uling (charcoal), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), among others — are now “super mahal.”
Alugbati? P20 per bundle. Okra? P5 apiece. Gosh!
And now, the El Niño phenomenon is looming. Sugar planters in Negros Occidental are asking for help from the provincial government, particularly for immediate cloud seeding, to save newly growing sugarcane.
Negros, based on projections from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, will not be spared from this extreme heat phenomenon.
When El Niño fully sets in, there is no doubt we may be headed toward deeper hardship.
POLITICAL CIRCUS
But instead of focusing on crafting measures to address the oil crisis and the looming El Niño, our politicians remain busy — constantly shifting their attention to the proposed impeachment case against Sara Duterte.
Simply put, their political compass seems to be pointing somewhere else.
Let’s be candid. An impeachment case against the Vice President cannot mitigate the worsening plight of millions of Filipinos amid this fuel price crisis. That is why I admire Joseph Victor Ejercito for his candid assessment of the situation.
“But first, crises!” This was his simple yet thought-provoking remark during his recent visit to Bacolod.
Ejercito was the guest of honor at the opening of the 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival on April 16. During a press conference facilitated by Pulupandan, Negros Occidental mayor Miguel Peña, he said impeachment at this point is “not necessary.”
Yes, once it reaches the Senate, they have no choice but to accept it and conduct a trial. But what if the trial drags on?
‘ON THE BACK BURNER’
For Senator Ejercito, impeachment should be placed “on the back burner.” Why the rush? If Vice President Duterte is impeached later, will that avert the oil crisis?
I salute Senator Ejercito. With his perspective on impeachment, the oil crisis, and the looming challenges ahead, he hit the nail on the head.
At its core, the Philippines is facing a tightening economy — driven largely by rising fuel costs. No complex analogy is needed. This is a real-time crisis. And if Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other national leaders fail to confront it head-on, we will continue to languish in hard times.
Will impeachment lower the price of talong (eggplant), now selling at P160 to P200 per kilo?
If not, then — pasensya gid — this issue will not resonate with Filipinos struggling to survive.
‘DISTRACTIVE DEVELOPMENT’
Then comes another “distractive development” — the arrest of Zaldy Co in Prague, Czech Republic, on April 16.
President Marcos announced Co’s arrest, and surely, it will shift public attention — from the oil crisis to yet another political spectacle.
With Co’s possible tell-all, several political “big shots” may be implicated — giving Filipinos another storyline to follow.
Co, a former congressman of the Ako Bicol party-list, is no ordinary fugitive — and may soon turn whistleblower. His words will matter. But his testimony could also divert attention from the more pressing issue: the oil crisis and its cascading effects. Sad!
BEYOND TARGETED SUBSIDIES
Beyond targeted subsidies, what else can the government do to address these crises?
Are the usual measures — price controls, cash transfers, free rides — enough to ease the burden?
I don’t think so.
Government must go beyond ayuda. It should design programs that empower the poor — helping them become more resourceful and skilled in building sustainable livelihoods.
Resilience is important, yes. But people must also be equipped with the creativity and capability to develop income sources insulated from the shocks of recurring crises.
Staying afloat in these challenging times is no easy task. That is why government support is crucial. And this, ultimately, is the essence of Senator Ejercito’s message. His insight is relatable.
“But first, crises” — a simple line that underscores a deeper truth: combining the urgency of the oil crisis with the politics of impeachment is a mismatch. It only complicates matters — to the disadvantage of the Filipino people.
One can only hope for the swift “divorce” of these two conflicting issues. Divisive, indeed.
The oil crisis is urgent and demands immediate action. The impeachment issue, on the other hand, is political — and, at this moment, arguably unnecessary.
That is fact — not myth, not fiction./PN
