PBBM meets with DOE execs to address oil price hike

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. meets Energy Undersecretaries Donato

MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday met with key Energy officials to address the continued oil price hikes.

A short video of Marcos’ meeting with the officials of the Department of Energy (DOE) was uploaded on state-run Radio Television Malacañang’s (RTVM) official Facebook page.

The RTVM said the meeting convened by Marcos was attended by Energy Undersecretaries Donato Marcos and Roberto Uy, along with Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, Office of the Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr., and Presidential Management Staff Secretary Maria Zenaida Angping.

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), in a separate statement, said Marcos met with DOE officials to discuss ways that would help address the increase in oil prices.

“President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. met the key officials of the Department of Energy at Malacañan Palace in Manila to discuss the national government’s initiatives and programs in addressing the continuing oil price hike in the country,” the OPS said.

In June, the DOE announced its intent to ask the 19th Congress to prioritize the review of the oil price deregulation law, as it seeks to regain authority to intervene when there is a dramatic surge in prices of petroleum products for a longer period.

The meeting between Marcos and the Energy officials came two days after oil companies implemented a big-time price rollback for diesel and kerosene. However, gasoline prices remained steady.

It was also held after Marcos on Tuesday bared his plan to expand the coverage of the government’s fuel subsidy program by including tricycle drivers to help the transport sector amid the increase in oil prices.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier announced that over 600,000 tricycle drivers nationwide will be receiving fuel subsidy.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) began releasing fuel subsidy for other public transport operators and drivers in March this year.

The LTFRB was waiting for the beneficiary list of tricycle and delivery drivers from the DILG.

New Energy chief

In a separate Facebook post, Marcos said he had a thorough discussion with the officials of the DOE to address the soaring prices of petroleum products.

“Sa pandaigdigang krisis ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, isa sa magiging mahalagang kasama natin sa pagtugon ay ang Kagawaran ng Enerhiya. Masusing tinalakay ang ating mga susunod na hakbang at ang magiging direksyon ng departamento (Amid the global oil price hike, the Department of Energy is one of the important agencies that will help us address the issue. We thoroughly discuss the next steps and development in the department),” he said.

Marcos, the OPS said, is also set to name the new Energy secretary “in the coming days.”

On Monday, Press Secretary Beatrix Rose “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said Marcos is already in the “final stage” of evaluating the candidates for vacant posts in his Cabinet.