As the Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Energy Action and Development (LEAD) began hearings on KALINGA Act, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III highlighted how the proposed KALINGA Act is designed to move government action beyond reactive crisis response toward sustained preparedness, as he called “crisis prevention and preparation” the country’s best defense against fuel-driven shocks.
“Kapag may krisis, tama lang na tayo ay tumugon. Subalit ang pinakamagandang solusyon ay ang pagiging handa. Because prevention and preparation is the best weapon against any potential crisis,” Dy said.
Filed by the Speaker and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, House Bill No. 8834 seeks to establish the KALINGA Program, or the Komprehensibong Alalay sa Livelihood, Inflation, Negosyo at Goods Assistance.
It is a whole-of-government emergency response framework that ensures energy and essential goods supply security, delivers targeted and time-bound assistance to vulnerable sectors, and activates automatically once key crisis indicators are met.
The leader of the House of Representatives noted that the Philippines’ heavy reliance on imported fuel makes economic shocks unavoidable, reinforcing the need for a proactive framework.
“When 98% of your fuel needs are dependent on an area known for geopolitical tensions, the threat of spiraling gas prices is not a possibility—it is an inevitability,” Dy said.
The veteran legislator stressed that the KALINGA measure is not limited to current conditions but is intended to bolster the country’s long-term resilience against external forces.
“Ang KALINGA Bill ay hindi lamang nakatuon sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon—ito ay hakbang para gawing mas handa ang ating ekonomiya sa mga pagsubok na hindi natin kontrolado.”
“Kaya ang KALINGA Bill ay hindi lamang nakatuon sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon—ito ay hakbang para gawing mas handa ang ating ekonomiya sa mga pagsubok na hindi natin kontrolado,” the seasoned lawmaker explained.
“Hindi natin mapipigilan ang paggalaw ng pandaigdigang merkado, ngunit maaari nating patibayin ang ating mga sistema upang maprotektahan ang ating mga kababayan,” he added.
At the heart of the measure is the KALINGA Program, a system designed to activate automatically at the first signs of crisis.
“At the center of the measure is the KALINGA Program, a whole-of-government response system that is automatically activated once critical warning signs appear, such as sharp increases in fuel prices, extraordinary inflation, low fuel supply levels, or the declaration of a national energy emergency,” Dy explained.
He said the mechanism ensures that government action is immediate, coordinated, and not delayed by worsening conditions.
“Sa ganitong mekanismo, hindi na tayo maghihintay pang lumala ang sitwasyon bago kumilos. May malinaw na trigger points, may nakahandang hakbang, at may koordinasyon sa pagitan ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan,” Dy said.
“Mula pa lamang sa unang senyales ng krisis, gagalaw na ang gobyerno—upang mapigilan ang pagtindi ng epekto nito sa mga mamamayan.”
“Mula pa lamang sa unang senyales ng krisis, gagalaw na ang gobyerno—upang mapigilan ang pagtindi ng epekto nito sa mga mamamayan,” he added.
Dy added that the program aligns key interventions—from fuel stabilization to targeted assistance, support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the strengthening of supply chains—under a unified response.
“Higit pa rito, tinitiyak ng KALINGA Program na sabay-sabay at magkaka-ugnay ang pagtugon—mula sa fuel stabilization, hanggang sa targeted assistance, suporta sa MSMEs, at pagpapatatag ng supply chains. Hindi kanya-kanya ang pagkilos, kundi magiging isang sistemang mabilis at tiyak,” he said.
“So let us act not just because we are currently in the midst of a crisis—let us move to ensure that we are ready and equipped to confront challenges in the future,” Dy concluded.
