TAGUIG CITY (MindaNews / 25 March) –“Breathe in, breathe out… is it really over?”
For a few hours this week, the world seemed to exhale.
Oil prices dipped.
Stocks recovered.
Headlines softened.
Parang tapos na.
But look closer—and more importantly, look at your receipts, your gas gauge, your grocery bill—and you’ll realise:
Hindi pa. Malayo pa. Far from over.
What actually happened (in plain language)
The fighting in the Middle East has not ended.
It has only paused from getting worse.
• Oil facilities are still at risk
• Shipping routes are still tense
• Big countries are still positioning
And the Philippines?
We’ve already declared an energy emergency.
That’s not a small thing.
That’s government saying:
“May tama na tayo.”
Why this matters to you (kahit wala tayong missile dito)
War does not need to reach us physically.
It travels faster than that.
It comes through:
1. Fuel
Every jeep ride, Grab fare, and delivery fee starts here.
When oil goes up:
• Pamasahe goes up
• Delivery fees go up
• Your weekly expenses creep higher
2. Food
Hindi lang presyo ng gasolina ang tumataas.
Everything that moves becomes more expensive.
• Gulay from Benguet
• Isda from the coast
• Bigas from Mindanao
All of these travel.
And travel now costs more.
👉 The effect is delayed—but it always comes.
3. Electricity
Some of our power still depends on imported fuel.
So when oil rises:
• Expect pressure on your Meralco bill
• Especially in the coming months
4. Family income
This is the quiet risk.
• OFWs in the Middle East may face instability
• Global slowdown can affect jobs and businesses here
👉 Hindi agad mararamdaman—but this is where it hurts most.
The uncomfortable truth
What we are entering is not a war economy.
It is a higher-cost-of-living phase.
Slow.
Persistent.
Hard to notice day-to-day—
but undeniable after a few weeks.
So… What now? (Practical, pang-bahay)
Not panic.
Not fear.
Adjustment.
1. Re-check your weekly spending
Not yearly. Not monthly.
Weekly.
• Gas
• Groceries
• Transport
👉 Watch the trend, not just the price.
2. Be intentional with trips
Ask:
“Kailangan ba talaga ‘to?”
Combine errands.
Avoid extra drives.
Small savings compound quickly.
3. Buy smart, not in bulk panic
• Build a 2–3 week buffer of essentials
• Rice, canned goods, basics
Not hoarding.
Just preparedness.
4. Shift consumption quietly
• More home cooking
• Fewer impulse orders
Not deprivation—just discipline.
5. Talk about it at home
This is important.
Make it a family conversation, not a silent burden.
When everyone understands:
• Adjustments feel shared
• Not imposed
For Mindanao (and the provinces)
This matters even more.
Because:
• Supply chains are longer
• Logistics costs hit harder
• Farm-to-market depends heavily on fuel
👉 Translation:
Mas mabilis maramdaman. Mas mabigat ang impact.
The real takeaway
The crisis did not explode.
It is unfolding.
Quietly. Gradually. Systematically.
Final thought
Hindi lahat ng krisis dumarating na may ingay.
Yung iba… dumarating sa resibo.
So yes—
huminga muna.
But also:
Maghanda. Mag-adjust. Magmasid.
Prepare. Adjust. Monitor.
Because this one?
Hindi pa tapos.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Marriz B. Agbon is a Mindanawon now based in Taguig City, a chamber executive and development professional who previously led agribusiness promotion initiatives in government, working with private sector groups and chambers of commerce to strengthen regional economies. A graduate of the SBEP program of the University of Asia and the Pacific, he has spent much of his career at the intersection of business, policy, and enterprise development. In recent years, he has turned increasingly to writing – reflecting on aging, endurance sports, family history, and the quiet lessons of everyday life. He writes another column for MindaNews – “South of the 8th Parallel” – every Sunday.)
