MARCH 23, 2026 — Malacañang has confirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the creation of a “crisis committee” to secure food and fuel supplies amid the Middle East war, even as officials insist the Philippines is not yet facing an oil crisis. The move is meant to preempt disruptions, but one can’t help but wonder: Are we preparing for a storm that hasn’t arrived — or bracing for one that’s already on the horizon? 

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressed that the President acted even before suggestions for such a body surfaced. 

“Even before someone suggests forming a crisis committee, the President has already officially ordered the creation of one. So let’s just wait for the document — it is currently being finalized,” she said in Filipino. 

The committee’s mandate> Ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials — oil, fuel, food, and other basic necessities. Yet Castro clarified that the Philippines is not in an oil crisis. DOE Secretary Sharon Garin explained that while supply remains sufficient, price shocks are possible because of the Middle East conflict. Negotiations are ongoing for the importation of up to 600,000 barrels of fuel to cushion any blow. 

President Marcos has also secured agreements from food processors to freeze prices for two months and from toll concessionaires to give discounts to public utility vehicles and cargo haulers. These are short-term reliefs meant to shield consumers from ripple effects abroad. He insists food supply is stable, with vendors cooperating to keep prices normal. 

The Palace says there’s no crisis, yet a “crisis committee” is being formed. Castro herself admitted, “To be more systematic and organized so that someone is focused on the situation, because we should always be prepared. We cannot be sleeping soundly amid what is happening in the Middle East right now.” 

So, is this committee a genuine safeguard? The government says it’s about readiness, but readiness without transparency breeds skepticism. Who will sit on this committee? What powers will it wield? And most importantly, how will we feel its impact beyond press briefings?

And if there’s “no crisis,” why does it already feel like one is knocking at our door?

(Image: Philippine Information Agency)