SONA 2026: Marcos says government 'did everything' to cushion oil crisis impact

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted his administration’s interventions for the transportation sector to cushion the impact of record-high fuel prices driven by tensions in the Middle East during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. Speaking at Batasan Hills in Quezon City, Marcos said that while the transportation sector was the hardest hit by the crisis, his government was able to adequately provide aid and intervention to public utility vehicle drivers and commuters. “My countrymen, when we look back, I can face you while saying that we did everything that we should have to address the effects of the crisis. The entire government moved immediately to help the citizens. In truth, we were admired for the speed, agility, and activeness in our response,” Marcos said. Some of the interventions that Marcos mentioned include cash relief assistance to drivers from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program, which benefited more than 1.8 million drivers and operators. Drivers and operators also benefited from the TUPAD Tuloy-Pasada program. Marcos also touted the piso-per-liter diesel subsidy for jeepneys and UV-Express, as well as the service contracting program. Passengers were also able to benefit from free rides, Marcos said. If they were not able to utilize these free rides, passengers were given discounted fare rates in different public transportation modes. For the LRT2 and MRT3, Marcos said that the government has implemented a 50% discount for all passengers. This is on top of the government-mandated discounts for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. The president also said that his administration was able to lower fees in different ports to address the oil crisis, including terminal fees, landing and take-off fees, harbor fees, anchorage and berthing fees, as well as storage fees. He cited reduced or removed fees in the Cebu Port and the PITX. The president also said that trucks accredited by the Department of Agriculture were given special discount rates amid the fuel crisis. “Because of all these implementations, millions of Filipinos were somewhat directly affected by our aid amid a time when petrol prices were high. These are our drivers of public vehicles; our students; workers; our farmers and many commuters in the entire Philippines,” Marcos concluded. Information Source: GMA News Philippines