The Philippine House of Representatives Deploys 13 Committees to Deal with the Oil Crisis, the Meeting Begins on April 8

Philippine House of Representatives. (Photo PNA)

JAKARTA - The Philippine House of Representatives is expanding its handling of the oil price crisis by deploying 13 committees at once. This step shows that Manila does not want the surge in energy prices due to the Middle East conflict to be handled half-heartedly.

According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) quoted on Tuesday, March 31, the Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives Faustino "Bojie" Dy III set the joint hearing of 13 committees to begin on April 8, even though Congress was entering a session break. The focus is on drafting a unified, quick, and immediately implementable legislative response.

Dy emphasized that the DPR wants to work with the government, not be busy blaming each other. He said the parliament wanted to hear directly from the managers of the economy and institutions on the front lines so that the steps taken could really help the community deal with the impact of the Middle East conflict.

Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the Philippine House of Representatives Miro Quimbo said the number of committees involved was expanded from the original five to 13. The committee includes energy, agriculture, fisheries, foreign affairs, labor, transportation, information technology, economy, social services, trade, migrant workers, to the budget.

According to Quimbo, this joint body is tasked with collecting data and accelerating the drafting of legislation, including if additional budgets are needed. This means that the Philippine House of Representatives not only wants to meet, but also prepare the legal basis and funding support if the crisis worsens.

Quimbo emphasized that the DPR uses two lanes at once. First, quick assistance for the sectors that are most affected. Second, strengthen the resilience of the government and the economy so that it is not easily shaken when similar crises recur.

According to PNA, Quimbo also reminded that this crisis was triggered by external factors, not domestic mistakes. However, according to him, that is not an excuse to wait. Rather, because the source of the pressure comes from outside, the country must move faster to prepare cushions.

Dy, said Quimbo, has asked the DPR to focus on solutions, not looking for scapegoats. This direction was then translated into a larger target, namely designing a comprehensive policy package to respond to the urgent needs of the affected sectors, while making the Philippine economy more resistant to blows.

The work, according to Quimbo, has been going on even during the recess period. Technical meetings continue to be held, including through online meetings, before the first official hearing is held on April 8.