DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 31 March) — Progressive groups here on Tuesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Band-Aid” measures to address the impact of the ongoing global oil crisis are insufficient to ease the burden on ordinary Filipinos, who are most affected by rising fuel costs.
During a protest at the Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue on Tuesday, Rauf Sissay, a secretariat member of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Southern Mindanao Region, said their groups were protesting against the government’s lack of action on pressing social issues, including fuel price hikes, inadequate aid and services, and corruption.
“The solutions currently being offered by the government are merely Band-Aid or short-term measures, since they do not address the root causes behind the rising prices of petroleum products,” he said.
He said petroleum prices have now averaged ₱120 per liter and may continue to rise in the coming weeks, affecting small public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and consumers whose income and wages remain inadequate.
He said that despite the hardships confronting the people amid the crisis, the Marcos administration’s response has remained “minimal,” limited to Band-Aid solutions, such as implementing a four-day work week for government workers without assurance of additional pay or benefits.
Sissay also criticized the cash aid of ₱5,000 for PUV drivers and operators, who can barely cope with the rising costs of fuel, food, and other basic commodities, as well as the lack of alternative supply sources and a comprehensive energy plan.
“The government can do the math. The call to provide aid to vulnerable sectors and drivers, among others, should be aligned with the rate of inflation. After all, what use is ₱5,000 in cash assistance when the prices of basic goods and other products are extremely high?” he said.
The groups called for the scrapping of the value-added tax and excise tax on fuel products, the repeal of Republic Act No. 8470, also known as the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998, and an increase in workers’ wages.
Around 20 protesters from BAYAN-SMR, Kabataan-SMR, Gabriela Youth Davao, and Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap-Davao (Kadamay-Davao) joined Tuesday’s rally dubbed “Kalbaryo sa Katawhan,” which translates to “Calvary of the People.”
He also pointed out the unresolved corruption scandal in the government, which siphoned off funds intended for public projects and services.
“Since 2024, billions of pesos have not been allocated to public services and programs such as wage subsidies and financial assistance for vulnerable sectors, support that could have helped during crises like the one we are currently experiencing,” he said.
Allyssa Ancheta, spokesperson for Gabriela Youth Davao, added that the women, who manage household budgets, as well as the youth, are severely affected by the impact of the global oil crisis.
“At the same time, young people, of course, not everyone can afford the rising cost of necessities. With the increase in transportation fares, an allowance of ₱100 to ₱300 is no longer enough to cover daily expenses,” she said.
Ancheta said that some students “are even forced to take on other forms of work just to sustain their education,” including exploitative means such as prostitution. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
