PASAY CITY—Lawmakers push to overhaul the country's energy laws, demanding stronger government authority to protect Filipino consumers from sudden fuel price spikes and persistent power supply disruptions. 

During the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on Thursday, October 15, 2026, legislators, government officials, and industry stakeholders gathered to review sweeping amendments to the Oil Deregulation Law. 

The proposed reforms focus on granting the executive branch emergency regulatory powers during global oil crises and establishing a national petroleum reserve to safeguard the nation’s fuel supply.  

At the center of the panel's review is Senate Bill No. 2435, which aims to overhaul the nation's energy security framework by creating strategic and operational fuel reserves. 

The bill proposes designating a dedicated government fuel security agent authorized to execute temporary market interventions whenever a national fuel emergency is declared. 

By instituting these safeguards, lawmakers seek to enforce price transparency, compel accountability among oil players, and insulate domestic markets from volatile global crude prices.

Senate Committee on Energy Chair Senator Erwin Tulfo made it clear that while market competition plays a vital role in keeping oil prices competitive, the government cannot remain passive when external shocks threaten the public. He stressed that state agencies must be empowered to act decisively during extraordinary market spikes:

“Let me emphasize that this Committee recognizes the role of market competition in promoting efficiency and ensuring the availability of petroleum products. Pero hindi po ibig sabihin na tutunganga na lang ang pamahalaan when extraordinary circumstances arise that threaten public interest,” Senator Tulfo asserted.

Expanding the urgent scope of the inquiry, Senate President Win Gatchalian confronted representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) over long-standing power supply failures. 

Senator Gatchalian demanded aggressive oversight to curb soaring electricity bills and resolve recurring grid bottlenecks and supply alerts—particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. He called for comprehensive audits of capital costs and fuel pass-on charges while urging regulators to penalize abusive and underperforming power distribution utilities.

Underscoring the growing frustration of Filipino consumers, Gatchalian urged energy regulators to step up and deliver concrete solutions to chronic power issues:

“Sawang-sawa na ang mga consumers natin dito sa mataas na presyo ng kuryente, perennial red and yellow alerts. We need to solve this. So, kaya ko pinapatong ito sa table, even though it's not the topic, to remind you na ito ang problema na kinakaharap natin. Headlines to parati in the last few months,” SP Gatchalian emphasized.

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