MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday clarified that the newly declared state of national energy emergency is confined to the energy sector, underscoring that the measure is a precautionary response to global oil supply risks from the Middle East conflict and not a nationwide crisis.

In a public address on March 25, a day after signing Executive Order No. 110, Marcos emphasized that the declaration does not place the country under a general state of emergency. The order comes in response to rising uncertainty in global oil supply linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Malinaw ang salitang ginamit natin, ‘energy emergency.’ Hindi ito emergency ng pangkalahatan. It is a very specific and a very precise emergency. It is an emergency of the energy sector, the supply of energy and the prices of energy,” Marcos said.

“Dahil ang pinagmulan ng problema ay ang suplay at ang presyo ng enerhiya, at yun ang kailangan naming tugunan na diretso, na direkta agad,” he added. “That is why we declared not a general state of emergency but a state of energy emergency. I would like to stress that point that it is the energy sector that we need to declare as an emergency sector because of the war in the Middle East.”

The president said the measure is meant to prepare the government for possible disruptions, describing it as a “precautionary tool.”

“I want to assure everyone that this does not mean that we should panic. It means that we are doing everything that we can to assess and to alleviate the situation,” Marcos said. “The reason that I declared an energy emergency is to provide government with more options should the need arise.”

According to Marcos, the declaration allows authorities to respond more quickly to potential supply issues, including expedited procurement of fuel and better coordination across government agencies.

Executive Order No. 110 also adopts the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) as the government’s framework for addressing the situation through a whole-of-government approach.

The UPLIFT committee is chaired by the President, with the Executive Secretary and the Secretaries of the Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Finance, Department of Economy Planning and Development (formerly NEDA), and Department of Budget and Management as members.

Public Reaction and Concerns

The announcement has drawn mixed reactions online and from labor groups, with some expressing concern over possible government controls and restrictions.

“Government can now use emergency powers. It means faster procurement, subsidies, and direct control over energy distribution to stabilize the situation,” said political commentator Gerry Cacanindin.

“Expect fuel supply to be prioritized. Essential sectors like hospitals, power plants, and public transport get first access. Private use may be limited in the near future,” Cacanindin added. “Possible fuel restrictions may be implemented. This can include purchase limits, scheduled fueling, or reduced use of government vehicles.”

“Simply put, a state of national energy emergency means supply is under stress, and the government is going to aggressively manage scarcity. This is actually good news. It means we’re now taking this crisis seriously,” Cacanindin explained.

Some social media users said the declaration prompted them to look more closely into its implications. “Ngayong under State of National Energy Emergency na tayo, naparesearch na naman ako,” said Oliver C. “Sabi kasi babantayan at imomonitor daw ang paggamit ng langis at kuryente pag under state of emergency na. Hindi ba pwedeng maghanap ng ibang lugar na pwede pagkuhanan ng langis bukod sa Middle East?

Others raised concerns about the possibility of fuel rationing. “We are now in a ‘state of national energy emergency’. crisis in short. finally. tapos na ang denial. rationing na ba?” said Jing G.

Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno also criticized the move. Its chairman, Jerome Adonis, accused the administration of contradicting earlier statements. “Patunay lang itong pinagtatakpan lang ng rehimen ang kapalpakan nitong tugunan ang matinding krisis na iniinda ng mamamayan,” Adonis said.

📷 Presidential Communications Office