Tipid Mode Sa Gobyerno: Marcos Orders Offices to Cut Power and Fuel Use

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered government offices to sharply reduce electricity and fuel consumption as the country deals with the impact of rising oil prices tied to the conflict in the Middle East. Malacañang said the instruction applies across the bureaucracy, including government-owned and controlled corporations.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the directive is meant to show that public officials should lead by example while the country manages an energy crunch. The order is anchored on Memorandum Circular 114, which tells agencies to adopt stricter conservation measures in day-to-day operations.

Under the policy, offices are expected to control air-conditioning use, reduce non-essential lighting, and limit other electricity consumption. Fuel use is also being tightened, with most government vehicles ordered off the road unless they are needed for public safety or health services.

Recto said monitoring has already started, with energy inspectors checking more than 1,000 offices during the first week of enforcement. The administration has also scaled down some spending and non-essential activities tied to the country's ASEAN hosting, while certain executive offices have temporarily shifted to a four-day workweek.

The same report said the Department of Energy sees the country's fuel inventory lasting an average of 50.94 days as of March 27, helped by new diesel shipments and more deliveries expected in April. Even with that added buffer, the government is still pushing a tipid mindset, because nobody can say yet if the Middle East conflict will cool down soon or drag on longer.

Source: Philstar.com