MANILA – Senator Bam Aquino called on government agencies to act with urgency in addressing the country’s fuel crisis, urging officials to match the pace of rising oil prices.

Aquino pressed for the immediate convening of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Committee, an interagency body created under Executive Order No. 110 by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to manage the state of national energy emergency.

The committee, chaired by the President, is tasked with coordinating the government’s response to possible disruptions in oil and energy supply.

During a hearing of the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee, Aquino emphasized the need for swift and decisive measures to ease the burden of rising fuel costs, particularly on transport workers and small businesses.

“We impress upon you to please move as fast as the price of diesel and gasoline, and gasoline is going up. Move as fast as that. Kung kada linggo, tumataas iyong presyo ng diesel at gasoline dapat kada linggo, nagmi-meet rin kayo para may update kayo sa taumbayan,” Aquino said.

“I mean, the name is crisis committee, so pag crisis, kailangan mabilis tayong gumalaw, gumalaw na tayo now,” he added.

After learning that the UPLIFT Committee is set to meet next week, Aquino urged agencies to begin coordinating immediately to speed up discussions and ensure that concrete interventions are ready for rollout.

The senator also called on the Development Budget Coordination Committee to urgently implement provisions under Republic Act No. 12316, which allows the suspension or reduction of excise taxes on petroleum products once global oil prices reach a specified threshold.

“Nagmadali kami para mapasa iyong batas na iyan. Sana po madaliin niyo rin iyong pag-implement nung batas,” Aquino said, noting that the measure was prioritized following its certification as urgent by the President.

“Please convene the DBCC para ma-trigger na iyong pagbaba ng excise tax,” he added.

Aquino likewise pushed for a streamlined system in distributing financial assistance to transport workers, citing concerns over delays and inefficiencies in current payout mechanisms.

“Alam ko may kanya-kanya kayong mga responsibilidad, pondo at lahat, but we need to have a consolidated approach here. Posibleng nagdodoble iyong tulong o posibleng akala natin nasa kabilang listahan, iyon pala wala sa listahan,” he said.

“Kasi kahit iyong pagtanggap ng pera, posibleng nakakaantala doon sa pang-araw-araw na pamamasada po nila,” he added.

The remarks came after Mar Valbuena reported that some transport workers, including jeepney and UV Express drivers, had to wait hours to receive assistance, while others were excluded from beneficiary lists.