A Catholic priest and advocacy groups warned that the deepening energy crisis is exposing gaps in consumer protection, as rising fuel and electricity costs hit poor and off-grid communities hardest.
Five weeks into the emergency triggered by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, Fr. Edwin Gariguez of the Diocese of Calapan said the burden is already severe in places like Mindoro, where residents have long endured “expensive electricity rates and rampant outages,” a situation now likely to worsen as fuel prices climb.
Fisherfolk are among the most affected, he said, as higher fuel costs cut into earnings needed to go out to sea, forcing some to stop working “much like transport workers.”
Advocacy groups said the crisis is also disrupting transport, with jeepney drivers cutting trips or halting operations due to mounting losses.
Mar Valbuena, chairperson of transport group MANIBELA, said drivers have been losing income for weeks, leaving commuters struggling to find rides and “libo-libo na ang ninakawan ng hanapbuhay ng krisis na ito.” He questioned why authorities have not fully used emergency powers “para pigilan ang pang-aabuso ng mga kumpanya ng langis.”
The Power for People Coalition (P4P) said the situation reflects deeper structural issues.
“The last five weeks revealed how structurally absent means to protect consumers are in the country’s energy sector,” said convenor Gerry Arances, adding that Filipinos have been “left to fend for themselves as pump prices kept soaring.” He warned there is “no time to delay decisions on price cuts, emergency aids, and alternatives.”
Groups are calling for price controls, tax suspensions, and faster rollout of renewable energy. Gariguez pointed to church-led solar initiatives in Mindoro, where communities are now “much better protected from oil and other fuel volatilities,” urging similar measures nationwide.
